Long-Billed Bush Warbler:
A team of birders recently recorded the first confirmed Indian sighting of the elusive Long-billed Bush Warbler in 46 years, spotting the Near Threatened species in Ladakh’s Suru Valley.
- It is a medium-sized bush warbler (songbird) with a relatively long tail and long bill.
- Scientific Name: Locustella major
- It has a limited distribution in the mountains of Central Asia.
- It’s found in parts of China, India, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.
- It inhabits grassy slopes dotted with bushes, weeds, and grass; upland terraced cultivation; and edges of alpine meadows and forest clearings, at 2400-3600 m.
- Plumage is generally brownish-olive with fine streaking on the back.
- The underparts are paler, usually whitish or buff.
- Size: Around 15–17 cm in length.
- Like other bush warblers, typically very skulking and furtive, preferring to run instead of fly when threatened.
- Emerges onto small bushes to sing, producing a dull clicking that would underwhelm a grasshopper.
- Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Near Threatened.
