Indian Grassbird Graminicola bengalensis Scientific name definitions

The Indian Grassbird was formerly known as the Large Grass-Warbler and the Rufous-rumped Grassbird (the eastern form is now split as the Chinese Grassbird (Graminicola striatus)). It was previously considered a member of the Sylviidae, but recent phylogenetic studies have classified it as a Pellorneid babbler. This species is a rarely seen and poorly studied inhabitant of the wet floodplain grasslands in the Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins. An inveterate skulker, it rarely shows itself, and the only dependable way to locate the species is by listening for its distinctive call. Owing to the presence of large mammals in the same habitat and the difficulty of surveying seasonally inundated grasslands, very little is known about the biology and distribution of Indian Grassbird. It appears to have declined considerably over the course of the 1900s, and has recently been recorded from only a handful of scattered sites in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Urgent research into its biology, distribution, and habitat preferences is necessary to determine its true conservation status. This article details the current (poor) state of knowledge about this unique species, and details the threats facing its grassland habitats.