Common Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naevia
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Locustella naevia
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Mass
~15 g
Habitat
Shrublands
Diet
Insects and invertebrates
How to recognize it
The common grasshopper warbler is a small, plain-looking singer of tall grass. You are more likely to notice it by its long, reeling call than by seeing much of it at all.
It stays low and secretive, threading through dense cover and preferring the ground to open flight. The song can carry through the night, and it is still often heard late in the season, after many other singers have gone quiet.
It favours damp meadows, marshes, and riverbanks, especially where the grass is thick. It feeds on spiders, insects, and their larvae, and in autumn it leaves for tropical Africa.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
The common grasshopper warbler is a small, plain-looking singer of tall grass. You are more likely to notice it by its long, reeling call than by seeing much of it at all.
It stays low and secretive, threading through dense cover and preferring the ground to open flight. The song can carry through the night, and it is still often heard late in the season, after many other singers have gone quiet.
It favours damp meadows, marshes, and riverbanks, especially where the grass is thick. It feeds on spiders, insects, and their larvae, and in autumn it leaves for tropical Africa.
How to recognize it
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Locustella naevia Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Common grasshopper warbler Encyclopedia article