Saturday 22 April 2017

Common Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia)

OTHER NAMES: Grasshopper Warbler, Western Grasshopper Warbler
Latin Etymology: Locustella ("small locust") naevia ("spotted")

Adult male Common Grasshopper Warbler (subspecies L. n. naevia) at Laundinum Woods, Northants - April 2017

Featured Subspecies: Locustella naevia naenvia 
Weight: 9.7-15g  /  Length: 13cm  /  Wingspan: 15-19cm
UK RED LIST IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Grasshopper Warbler is a widespread but scarce Summer migrant to the UK - a small brown warbler with very skulking behaviour whose presence is largely revealed by it's distinctive song.  Apart from the related and far rarer Savi's Warbler it's call is unmistakable in the UK - it is often described as insect like, giving the species it's name, or, like a fishing line being reeled in, hence the description of it's song as "reeling".  I struggled to locate this species for years, but eventually came across some after following a tip for a local site.

Related Species:
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Locustellidae
GENUS: Locustella
SUBSPECIES: L. n. naeiva, L. n. obscurior, L. n. straminea, L. n. mongolica

 - Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - A scarce and local breeding Summer migrant.
 - Two birds at Laundinum Woods in April 2017, one heard only .

Further Notes: BirdForum OpusIUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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