Family Grasshopper-warblers and Grassbirds (Locustellidae)
Least Concern
Taiwan Grasshopper-warbler (Locustella alishanensis)
Taxonomy
French: Locustelle de Taiwan German: Taiwanschwirl Spanish: Zarzalero de Formosa
Other common names:
Taiwan Bush-warbler
Taxonomy:
Bradypterus alishanensis
Rasmussen et al.
, 2000,Ta-Kuan, Hua-Lian Hsien, Taiwan
.Distribution:
Mountains of C & NE Taiwan.
Descriptive notes
13 cm; c. 10 g. A medium-sized unmarked dark dull brown bush-warbler, lacking strong rufous tones, bill rather slight. Head, ear-coverts, malar region and entire upperparts,... read more
Voice
Song distinctive, a series of loud, clear monotone notes, each ending in 2 or 3 clicks (resembling... read more
Habitat
Open grassy slopes with bamboos, shrubby thickets and scattered trees; clearings in coniferous... read more
Food and feeding
No information on food items, other than insects. Forages low down; shares general skulking behaviour typical of genus.
Breeding
Season chiefly mid-May to late Jun, but food-carrying observed as late as Aug. Nest a cup of woven grass leaves, extremely well concealed... read more
Movements
Basically resident. Some post-breeding altitudinal movement; only exceptionally below 1000 m, but... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Taiwan EBA. Extremely shy nature makes this species as difficult to see as are its congeners; apparently quite... read more
Previously placed in Bradypterus. First collected in 1917, but long assumed to be a representative of L. mandelli melanorhyncha. Several fieldworkers, however, had remarked on its unusual song, which prompted research and the discovery of a number of morphological differences, including bill structure, foot size (large), wing formula and dull brown plumage#R. Monotypic.