Little grassbird

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Little grassbird
Little Grassbird - Pitt Town Lagoon.jpg
Adult
Megalurus gramineus.jpg
Juvenile
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Locustellidae
Genus: Poodytes
Species:
P. gramineus
Binomial name
Poodytes gramineus
Gould, 1845
Synonyms

Megalurus gramineus

The little grassbird (Poodytes gramineus) 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.

Contents

The little grassbird is an inconspicuous and dull-coloured bird that is heard more regularly than it is seen, known for readily engaging in conversation with people. They feed on insects and small arthropods, usually remaining in densely covered areas of vegetation and living nomadically with no regular migration patterns. [2]

Taxonomy

Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Grass warblers are sometimes strongly patterned but generally very drab in overall colouration. [3]

The family Locustellidae was named by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854 and is derived from the genus name Locustella named by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829. The little grassbird was formally described in 1845 by the English ornithologist John Gould under the binomial name Sphenoeacus gramineus. [4] It is now placed in the genus Poodytes that was introduced in 1851 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis. [5] [6] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek poa meaning "grass" with dutēs meaning "diver". The specific epithet is from Latin and means "grassy" or "grass-like". [7]

While the family name Locustellidae is generallty accepted, some authorities place the little grassbird in the Sylviidae family. Also the genus name Poodytes is normally used but megalurus is also commonly used. [6] The little grassbird has also been known as Grassbird, Little Marshbird, Little Reed Bird, Marsh Warbler and Striated Grassbird.

Four subspecies are recognised: [6]

Description

It is an olive-brown/ brown-grey bird, measuring 13 to 15 cm, with a pale eyebrow and dark grey streaks in the throat, crown and cheeks. The upper body is brown-grey, streaked dark grey and the lighter grey underparts are also streaky. The wing feathers are dark with white edges. Adult male and female grassbirds are indistinguishable to the naked eye; however, males are larger for all parameters aside from the bill. [8]

The Slater Field Guide notes that the voice is a "plaintive three noted monotone, tee-ti-teee." The Australian Bird Guide notes that the bird is more often heard rather than seen, particularly in the breeding season where it gives "a sequence of 2-3 plaintive piping whistles p-pee-pee repeated incessantly." [9] [10]

The tawny grassbird (Cincloramphus timoriensis) is slightly larger and more rufous, particularly its crown. The striated fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus) is quite similar, differing in its yellow underparts, and distinctive white eyebrows. [11]

Distribution and habitat

The little grassbird is found across Eastern Australia and Tasmania, inland to Central Australia and South-Western Australia. It is also found in West Papua, Indonesia. It lives in dense wetland vegetation, sedges, reeds and rank grass. It also uses shrubs such as lignum, saltmarsh and low mangroves. [9] After rains the little grassbird will move into temporary wetlands. [12]

The occurrence of the little grassbird in West Papua is not common or widespread. Ebird identifies two locations only and the Atlas of Australian birds (1984) states only one specimen is known. [13] [14]

Behaviour and ecology

Food and feeding

The little Grassbird eats insects and other small arthropods, usually remaining in the dense cover of grasses and swamp vegetation. [11]

Breeding

The breeding period is from August to December, or after rain. Nests are deep and cup-shaped consisting of grass, twigs and stems lined with feathers, typically of the Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), and situated in tall grasses, reeds and low shrubs. A clutch consists of 3-5 whitish/pink-white, grey speckled eggs.

Observations of breeding biology and sex allocation have shown a highly male-biased population sex ratio, with some breeding territories having numerous extra males. There is little evidence to determine whether little grassbirds breed cooperatively. Male and female growth rates showed no notable difference. [2]

Status

The species has been assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. The population trend appears to be increasing; therefore the species does not reach the thresholds for a vulnerable listing. [1] Birtdlife Australia lists it as secure in all states. [11]

Related Research Articles

Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. 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 family of warblers, together with some babblers formerly placed in the family Timaliidae and the parrotbills, are retained in a much smaller family Sylviidae.

Grass warbler 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>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">New Zealand fernbird</span> Species of bird

The New Zealand fernbird or simply fernbird is an insectivorous bird endemic to New Zealand. In the Māori language, it is named kōtātā or mātātā.

Bristled grassbird 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown songlark</span> Species of bird

The brown songlark, also Australian songlark, is a small passerine bird found throughout much of Australia. A member of the family Locustellidae, this species is notable for sexual size dimorphism, among the most pronounced in any bird. It is a moderate-sized bird of nondescript plumage; the female brownish above and paler below, the larger male a darker brown.

<i>Cincloramphus</i> Genus of birds

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

Rufous songlark Species of bird

The rufous songlark is a species in the family Locustellidae endemic to Australia.

The Bougainville thicketbird is a bird species. It had been placed in the "Old World warbler" family Sylviidae, but it does not seem to be a close relative of the typical warblers; probably it belongs in the grass warbler family Locustellidae. It is endemic to Bougainville Island. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. It used to be considered conspecific with the Santo thicketbird and the New Britain thicketbird.

<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">Fly River grassbird</span> Species of bird

The Fly River grassbird is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are freshwater marshes and lakes. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Striated grassbird 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">Tawny grassbird</span> Species of bird

The tawny grassbird is a large songbird that is part of the grass- and bush-warbler family (Locustellidae) commonly found in grassland and reedbed habitats. It is streaked above and has a distinctive rich brown cap. Its underside is paler and it has a long graduated tail. They call often with "loud, grumpy churring calls and a longer call that starts “tick-tick-tick-tick” and ends with an explosive descending trill".

Broad-tailed grassbird Species of bird

The broad-tailed grassbird 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.

<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.

Grassbird may refer to:

Macrosphenidae Family of birds

The African warblers are a newly erected family Macrosphenidae, of songbirds. Most of the species were formerly placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, although one species, the rockrunner, was placed in the babbler family, Timaliidae. A series of molecular studies of the Old World warblers and other bird families in the superfamily Sylvioidea found that the African warblers were not part of Sylviidae but were instead an early (basal) offshoot of the entire clade Sylvioidea. Some taxonomic authorities place the entire family Hyliidae here.

Bicol ground warbler Species of bird

The Bicol ground warbler is a species of passerine bird in the family Locustellidae. It is endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines, where it is found in the southern parts of the island. Along with its other conspecifics, such as the Cordillera ground warbler and the Sierra Madre ground warbler, it is one of the most elusive birds in the country. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

The Guadalcanal thicketbird is a bird species. It used to be placed in the "Old World warbler" family Sylviidae, but it does not seem to be a close relative of the typical warblers; it belongs in the grass warbler family, Locustellidae. It is found on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

<i>Poodytes</i> Genus of birds

Poodytes is a genus of passerine birds in the grassbird family Locustellidae.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2017). "Poodytes gramineus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T22715501A118743500. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22715501A118743500.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Pizzey, G., Knight, D., Pizzey, S,. (1997). The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia by Graham Pizzey and Frank Knight. 470(3). Retrieved 13 June 2018
  3. ↑ Alström, P.; Ericson, P.G.P.; Olsson, U.; Sundberg, P. (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.
  4. ↑ Gould, John (1845). "Mr. Gould exhibited to the Meeting a new species of Trogon, from South America, and seven new Birds from Australia, which he characterized as follows". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. Part 13 (145): 18-20 [19].
  5. ↑ Cabanis, Jean (1850–1851). Museum Heineanum : Verzeichniss der ornithologischen Sammlung des Oberamtmann Ferdinand Heine, auf Gut St. Burchard vor Halberstadt (in German and Latin). Vol. 1. Halberstadt: R. Frantz. p. 42.
  6. 1 2 3 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2022). "Grassbirds, Donacobius, Malagasy warblers, cisticolas, allies". IOC World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  7. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp.  314, 177. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  8. ↑ McIntosh, R. R., Kats, R., Berg, M., Komdeur, J., & Elgar, M. A. (2003). Breeding ecology and bias in offspring sex ratio in little grassbirds (Megalurus gramineus). Australian Journal of Zoology, 51(5), 505-514. Retrieved 13 June 2018
  9. 1 2 Menkhorst, Peter; Rogers, Danny; Clarke, Rohan; Davies, Jeff; Marsack, Peter; Franklin, Kim (2017). The Australian Bird Guide . Clayton, Vic: CSIRO Publishing. pp. 494–495. ISBN   978-0643097544.
  10. ↑ Slater, Peter; Slater, Pat; Slater, Raoul (2009). The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds (2nd ed.). London, Sydney, Auckland: Reed New Holland. pp. 374–375. ISBN   9781877069635.
  11. 1 2 3 "Little Grassbird | BirdLife Australia". www.birdlife.org.au. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
  12. ↑ "Little Grassbird | BIRDS in BACKYARDS". www.birdsinbackyards.net. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
  13. ↑ Blakers, M.; Davies, S.J.J.F.; Reilly, P.N. (1984). The Atlas of Australian Birds. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. p. 428. ISBN   0522842852.
  14. ↑ "Little Grassbird - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved 2022-07-23.


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