Broad-tailed grassbird

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Broad-tailed grassbird
Broad-tailed Grassbird.jpg
In Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Locustellidae
Genus: Schoenicola
Species:
S. platyurus
Binomial name
Schoenicola platyurus
(Jerdon, 1841)
Synonyms

Timalia platyura

The broad-tailed grassbird (Schoenicola platyurus) is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of India with a possibility of occurrence in Sri Lanka. A small, mostly brown bird, it has a broad rounded and graduated tail. It is found only on the higher altitude grassy hills where it usually skulks, except during the breeding season when males fly up into the air to sing in their display. The species is believed to be a resident although it is possible that they make local movements.

Contents

Description

The uniform brown upperparts with a broad, round-tipped and long graduated tail are distinctive features of this bird. The species has a buff supercilium and the brown tail has thin dark bars. The underside of the tail is very dark and the feathers are tipped with white. Males and females are indistinguishable in plumage. The call of the male during breeding is a lark-like and repeated trill that is accompanied by fanned tail and a fluttering flight. Other calls include a chack and a zink note. The gape colour is black and visible in singing males but is brown in females. [2] [3] [4] In the non-breeding season, it is a skulker moving rapidly between grass and reeds but sometimes perching in the open. [5] [6] [7]

Taxonomy and systematics

Head showing the short bill and the two rictal bristles SchoenicolaHeadFBI.jpg
Head showing the short bill and the two rictal bristles

The species has in former times included the African Schoenicola brevirostris , which was originally called Catriscus apicalis and later Schoenicola platyura brevirostris. The Indian species was first described by Jerdon who found the bird at the base of the Gudalur ghat in the foothills of the Nilgiris. [8] [9] The bill is short and strong with the culmen slightly curved, and there are two rictal bristles. The tarsus is somewhat long for the proportions. The populations north and south of the Palghat gap are said to differ in plumage shade: the northern form being larger, paler and greyer above with the flanks sandy-brown; the southern form is dark rufous brown above and more whitish below with bright buff on the breast and flanks. This plumage variation was earlier believed to be seasonal. [3] [10] [11] [12] Molecular phylogeny studies place the genus in the warbler subfamily Megalurinae (along with Megalurus , Chaetornis and Graminicola ). [13] [14] [15] A study of the group shows that the African S. brevirostris and S. platyurus are not closely related and that S. platyurus is a sister of Chaetornis striata. [16]

Distribution

The broad-tailed grassbird is restricted to grassy moist highlands, principally in the Western Ghats of southern India mainly south of Karnataka but with some records from Pune, Lonavala and Nasik. [17] A specimen was collected by S. A. Hussain at Point Calimere that suggests that the bird may be involved in local movements or migrations, possibly into Sri Lanka. [18] Suggestions that it may occur in Sri Lanka are as yet not well supported; there is an old specimen (collected by H. Cumming, who has been considered unreliable, [11] and doubtfully identified by Colonel Legge [2] ) and two unconfirmed sight records from Gammaduwa, Matale Hills, and Waitalawa, Rangala Hills. [6] [19] The species has not been reported from the Biligirirangan Hills. [20]

Behaviour and ecology

The breeding season appears to be from March to May, but nests have been seen in July and September, so the raising of two broods is suspected. The nest is a ball of coarse grass blades with an entrance on the side and placed low in a tussock of long grass. The eggs are white with spots and blotches of brownish red. The usual clutch is 2 or 3 eggs. It feeds on insects. [2] [19] [21]

Related Research Articles

Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. They are not closely related to the New World warblers. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into Cisticolidae and the kinglets into Regulidae. In the past ten years they have been the subject of much research and many species are now placed into other families, including the Acrocephalidae, Cettiidae, Phylloscopidae, and Megaluridae. In addition some species have been moved into existing families or have not yet had their placement fully resolved. A smaller number of warblers, together with some babblers formerly placed in the family Timaliidae and the parrotbills, are retained in a much smaller family Sylviidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grass warbler</span> Genus of birds

The grass warblers are small passerine birds belonging to the genus Locustella. Formerly placed in the paraphyletic "Old World warbler" assemblage, they are now considered the northernmost representatives of a largely Gondwanan family, the Locustellidae.

<i>Cettia</i> Genus of birds

Cettia is a genus of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers") which make up the core of the newly recognized family Cettiidae. They were formerly placed in the Sylviidae, which at that time was a wastebin taxon for the warbler-like Sylvioidea. The range of this genus extends from Europe to southeast Asia.

<i>Bradypterus</i> Genus of birds

Bradypterus is a genus of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers") in the newly recognized grass warbler family (Locustellidae). They were formerly placed in the Sylviidae, which at that time was a wastebin taxon for the warbler-like Sylvioidea. The range of this genus extends through the warm regions from Africa around the Indian Ocean and far into Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zitting cisticola</span> Species of bird

The zitting cisticola or streaked fantail warbler is a widely distributed Old World warbler whose breeding range includes southern Europe, Africa, and southern Asia down to northern Australia. A small bird found mainly in grasslands, it is best identified by its rufous rump; in addition it lacks any gold on the collar and the brownish tail is tipped with white. During the breeding season males have a zigzagging flight display accompanied by regular "zitting" calls that have been likened to repeated snips of a scissor. They build their pouch nest suspended within a clump of grass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka bush warbler</span> Species of bird

The Sri Lanka bush warbler, also known as Ceylon bush warbler or Palliser's warbler, is an Old World warbler which is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka, where it is the only bush warbler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-breasted prinia</span> Species of bird

The grey-breasted prinia or Franklin's prinia is a wren-warbler belonging to the family of small passerine birds found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. This prinia is a resident breeder in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka and southeast Asia. Like other prinias, it often holds the tail upright but it is easily told by a smoky grey band across the breast which contrasts with a white throat. The beak is all black while the legs are pink. The tail is graduated as in other prinias and the grey feathers are tipped in white. In the breeding plumage the upperparts are grey while non-breeding birds are pale above with rufous wings and a weak supercilium. It is found in scrub, forest clearings and other open but well vegetated habitats. It can be confused with the rufescent prinia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-headed bulbul</span> Species of bird

The grey-headed bulbul is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in south-western India, and found from Goa south to Tamil Nadu at altitudes up to 1200m. It is found in dense reeds or thickets mainly near rivers and swampy areas inside forests. They have a distinctive call that reveals their presence inside dense vegetation where they are hard to spot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristled grassbird</span> Species of bird

The bristled grassbird is a small passerine bird in the genus Schoenicola. Also known as the bristled grass warbler, this species is endemic to the Indian subcontinent, where it is patchily distributed in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. These insectivorous birds skulk in dense and tall grasslands, often in marshy areas, habitats that are threatened by human activities. Formerly considered to be sedentary, the species may be migratory, moving south and east in the Indian peninsula during winter and returning to their breeding grounds in the northern plains south of the Himalayas.

<i>Cincloramphus</i> Genus of birds

Cincloramphus is a genus of birds in the grassbird family Locustellidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Caledonian thicketbird</span> Species of bird

The New Caledonia thicketbird or New Caledonia grassbird, is a bird species. Previously placed in the "Old World warbler" family Sylviidae, it does not seem to be a close relative of the typical warblers; probably it belongs in the grass warbler family Locustellidae. This species is endemic to New Caledonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little grassbird</span> Species of bird

The little grassbird is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is found in Australia and in West Papua, Indonesia. These sexually monomorphic birds are found in reed beds, rushes, lignum swamps and salt marshes of Southeastern Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Striated grassbird</span> Species of bird

The striated grassbird is an "Old World warbler" species in the family Locustellidae. It was formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. It is now the only species placed in the genus Megalurus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fan-tailed grassbird</span> Species of bird

The fan-tailed grassbird or broad-tailed warbler is an African species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. The species is closely related to the broad-tailed grassbird of India, and is sometimes treated as the same species, although a 2018 study found that it and the broad-tailed grassbird were not closely related, with the Indian species being a sister of Chaetornis striata.

<i>Schoenicola</i> Genus of birds

Schoenicola is a genus of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. There are two species, both from peninsular India. The genus has been placed in the subfamily Megalurinae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Locustellidae</span> Family of birds

Locustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family. It contains the grass warblers, grassbirds, and the Bradypterus "bush warblers". These birds occur mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. The family name is sometimes given as Megaluridae, but Locustellidae has priority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streaked scrub warbler</span> Species of bird

The streaked scrub warbler, also known simply as the scrub warbler, is a small passerine bird. It is the only species placed in the genus Scotocerca. It is found in northern Africa and south-western Asia. It is a bird of desert fringes, frequenting scrubby areas, ravines and gorges, and is mainly resident, although local movements can occur outside the breeding season.

The swamp grass babbler or swamp prinia is a small bird of the Indian subcontinent. Some authorities consider it a subspecies of the rufous-vented grass babbler.

Grassbird may refer to:

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2016). "Schoenicola platyurus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22715577A94459789. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Hume, AO (1880). "Schoenicola platyurus". Stray Feathers. 9: 260–264.
  3. 1 2 Oates, EW (1889). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Birds. Vol. 1. Taylor and Francis, London. pp. 384–385.
  4. ↑ Raman ,T. R. S. (1998). "Observations on the vocalizations and display of the Broadtailed Grass Warbler (Schoenicola platyura) (Jerdon)". Newsletter for Birdwatchers . 38 (1): 6.
  5. ↑ Brooks, WE (1880). "A few remarks on Schoenicola platyura". Stray Feathers. 9: 209–212.
  6. 1 2 Collar, NJ; AV Andreev; S Chan; MJ Crosby; S Subramanya; JA Tobias, eds. (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia (PDF). BirdLife International. pp. 2195–2199.
  7. ↑ Sharpe, RB (1883). Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum. Volume 7. Cichlomorphae Part 4. Timeliidae. British Museum. p. 110.
  8. ↑ Jerdon, T.C. (1844). "Supplement to the catalogue of birds of the peninsula of India". Madras Journal of Literature and Science. 13 (30 (April)): 156–174.
  9. ↑ Jerdon, T.C. (1863). "Schoenicula platyura". The birds of India. Vol. 2, Part 1. Calcutta: The Military Orphan Press. p. 73.
  10. ↑ Baker, ECS (1924). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Birds. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Taylor and Francis, London. pp. 437–438.
  11. 1 2 Rasmussen PC; JC Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volume 2. Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. p. 516.
  12. ↑ Sharpe,R Bowdler (1882). "A note on the genera Schoenicola and Catriscus[Reprinted from the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1881]". Stray Feathers. 10 (4): 254–256.
  13. ↑ Alström, Per; et al. (February 2006). "Phylogeny and classification of the avian superfamily Sylvioidea". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 38 (2): 381–397. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.05.015. ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   16054402.
  14. ↑ Beresford, P.; Barker, F.K.; Ryan, P.G.; Crowe, T.M. (2005). "African endemics span the tree of songbirds (Passeri): molecular systematics of several evolutionary 'enigmas'". Proceedings of the Royal Society B . 272 (1565): 849–858. doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2997. PMC   1599865 . PMID   15888418.
  15. ↑ Drovetski, S. V.; Zink, R. M.; Fadeev I. V.; Nesterov; E. V.; Koblik E. A.; Red’kin, Y. A. & Rohwer, S. (2004). "Mitochondrial phylogeny of Locustella and related genera" (PDF). J. Avian Biol. 35 (2): 105–110. doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2004.03217.x. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2010.
  16. ↑ Alström, Per; Cibois, Alice; Irestedt, Martin; Zuccon, Dario; Gelang, Magnus; Fjeldså, Jon; Andersen, Michael J.; Moyle, Robert G.; Pasquet, Eric (2018). "Comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the grassbirds and allies (Locustellidae) reveals extensive non-monophyly of traditional genera, and a proposal for a new classification". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 127: 367–375. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.03.029. ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   29625229.
  17. ↑ Raha, B. Sarda; R. Mistry, V.K. (2007). "Broad-tailed Grass-warbler Schoenicola platyura in Nashik, Maharashtra". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 104 (1): 93.
  18. ↑ Hussain,SA (1976). "Occurrence of the Broadtailed Grass Warbler Schoenicola platyura (Jerdon)] on the Coromandel coast". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 73 (2): 400–401.
  19. 1 2 Ali, S; S D Ripley (1997). Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan. Vol. 8 (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 91–92. ISBN   0-19-562063-1.
  20. ↑ Srinivasan, U.; Prashanth, N.S. (2006). "Preferential routes of bird dispersal to the Western Ghats in India: An explanation for the avifaunal peculiarities of the Biligirirangan Hills". Indian Birds. 2 (4): 114–119.
  21. ↑ Hume, AO (1889). The nests and eggs of Indian birds. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). R H Porter. pp. 251–252.
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