View source for Grass-warbler

{{automatic Taxobox
| taxon = Locustella
| name = Grass-warblers
| image = Locustellaluscinioides.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Locustella luscinioides]]''
| authority = [[Johann Jakob Kaup|Kaup]], 1829
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text.
}}

The '''grass-warblers''' are small [[passerine]] [[bird]]s belonging to the [[genus]] '''''Locustella'''''. Formerly placed in the [[paraphyletic]] "[[Old World warbler]]" assemblage, they are now considered the northernmost representatives of a largely [[Gondwana]]n  family, the [[Locustellidae]].

These are rather drab brownish "warblers" usually associated with fairly open grassland, shrubs or marshes. Some are streaked, others plain, all are difficult to view. They are [[insectivorous]].

The most characteristic feature of this group is that the song of several species is a mechanical [[insect]]-like reeling which gives rise to the group's scientific name.

Species breeding in temperate regions are strongly [[bird migration|migratory]].

==Species==
A [[fossil]] [[acrocoracoid]] from the [[Late Miocene]] (about 11 mya) of [[Rudabánya]] (NE [[Hungary]]) is quite similar to this bone in the present genus (Bernor ''et al.'' 2002). Given its rather early age (most [[Passerida]] genera are not known until the [[Pliocene]]), it is not too certain that it is correctly placed here, but it is highly likely to belong to the Megaluridae at the least. As the grass-warblers are the only known megalurid warblers from Europe, it is still quite likely that the bone piece belongs to a [[Basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] ''Locustella''.

{{div col|3}}
* [[Lanceolated Warbler]], ''Locustella lanceolata''
* [[Bamboo Warbler]], ''Locustella alfredi''
* [[River Warbler]], ''Locustella fluviatilis''
* [[Savi's Warbler]], ''Locustella luscinoides''
* [[Brown Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella luteoventris''
* [[Chinese Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella tacsanowskia''
* [[Common Grasshopper-Warbler]], ''Locustella naevia''
* [[Long-billed Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella major''
* [[Friendly Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella accentor''
* [[Long-tailed Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella caudata''
* [[Chestnut-backed Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella castanea''
* [[Baikal Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella davidi''
* [[Spotted Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella thoracica''
* [[West Himalayan Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella kashmirensis''
* [[Taiwan Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella alishanensis''
* [[Benguet Bush-warbler]], ''Locustella seebohmi''
* [[Javan Bush-warbler]], ''Locustella montis''
** [[Timor Bush-warbler]], ''Locustella montis timorensis''
* [[Sichuan Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella chengi''
* [[Russet Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella mandelli''
* [[Dalat Bush-Warbler]], ''Locustella idonea''

===Moved to ''[[Helopsaltes]]''===
* [[Gray's Grasshopper-Warbler]], ''Helopsaltes fasciolata''
* [[Sakhalin Grasshopper-Warbler]], ''Helopsaltes amnicola''
* [[Marsh Grassbird]], ''Helopsaltes pryeri''
* [[Styan's Grasshopper-Warbler]], ''Helopsaltes pleskei''
* [[Pallas's Grasshopper-Warbler]], ''Helopsaltes certhiola''
* [[Middendorf's Grasshopper-Warbler]], ''Helopsaltes ochotensis''

{{div col end}}

==References==<!-- FolHistNatMusMatraensis25:41. -->
* Drovetski, S.V., Zink, R.M., Fadeev, I.V., Nesterov, E.V., Koblik, Ye.A, Red’kin, Ya.A., and Rohwer, S.  2004.  Mitochondrial phylogeny of Locustella and related genera.  Journal of Avian Biology 35: 105-110 doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2004.03217.x
*Bernor, R.L.; Kordos, L. & Rook, L. (eds): Recent Advances on Multidisciplinary Research at Rudabánya, Late Miocene (MN9), Hungary: A compendium. ''Paleontographica Italiana'' '''89''': 3-36. [http://rocek.gli.cas.cz/Reprints/Bernor%20et%20al.pdf PDF fulltext]
* '''Del Hoyo''', J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2006). ''[[Handbook of the Birds of the World]]''. Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 849655306X.



{{Project Bird Genera}}
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[[Category:Locustellidae|*{{PN}}]]
[[Category:Locustella|*]]
[[Category:Genera of Passeriformes]]