Lanceolated Warbler (Locustella lanceolata)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Lanceolated Warbler

Locustella lanceolata (Temminck, 1840)

≈12 cmLength11 gWeight

This small warbler hides in grass and is difficult to see, with fine lance-shaped markings on the underparts.

Busiest months: May and October · Most records: China, Thailand, Cambodia

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Back rufous with stripes
  2. Underparts grayish-white with fine lance-shaped markings
  3. Undertail-coverts also have these stripes

Male, female and young

Sexes alike; juvenile has yellower underparts.

Voice

A monotonous, mechanical insect-like sound, mostly given at dusk.

Where and when it's recorded

Lanceolated Warbler has been recorded at 422 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 22 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Muravyevka ParkRussia344 records
  2. Man Nai IslandThailand237 records
  3. Mai Po NR #8b Reedbed RingingHong Kong (China)182 records
More places
  1. Bengal Florican ReserveCambodia161 records
  2. TmatboeyCambodia116 records
  3. Phnom Krom – rice fieldsCambodia113 records
  4. Yeliu IBATaiwan (China)104 records
  5. Mai Po NR – #8b ReedbedHong Kong (China)101 records
  6. Fair IsleUnited Kingdom100 records
  7. Happy IslandChina96 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChinaThailandCambodiaRussiaSingaporeVietnamMongoliaLaos

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The lanceolated warbler (Locustella lanceolata) is a species of Old World warbler in the genus Locustella. It breeds from northwest European Russia across the Palearctic to northern Hokkaidō, Japan. It is migratory, wintering in Southeast Asia.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Lanceolated Warbler?

The Lanceolated Warbler is about ≈12 cm long and weighs around 11 g.

Where does the Lanceolated Warbler live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: northern, northeastern. It is most often recorded in China, Thailand and Cambodia.

When is the best time to see the Lanceolated Warbler?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May and October (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Lanceolated Warbler endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Lanceolated Warbler as Least Concern.

What does the Lanceolated Warbler eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Lanceolated Warbler in?

It belongs to the family Grassbirds & Allies (Locustellidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
≈12 cm
Weight
11 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
55 mm
Tail
48 mm
Bill
12 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: northern, northeastern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 1
  • Locustella lanceolata lanceolata n Europe to e Siberia and ne China | non-breeding: to Philippines and Greater Sundas

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Grassbirds & Allies Locustellidae
Genus
Locustella

Other birds in the genus Locustella

Bamboo WarblerBamboo WarblerLocustella alfrediRiver WarblerRiver WarblerLocustella fluviatilisSavi's WarblerSavi's WarblerLocustella luscinioidesLong-billed Bush WarblerLong-billed Bush WarblerLocustella majorBrown Bush WarblerBrown Bush WarblerLocustella luteoventrisCommon Grasshopper WarblerCommon Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naeviaChinese Bush WarblerChinese Bush WarblerLocustella tacsanowskiaFriendly Bush WarblerFriendly Bush WarblerLocustella accentorLong-tailed Bush WarblerLong-tailed Bush WarblerLocustella caudataSulawesi Bush WarblerSulawesi Bush WarblerLocustella castaneaSeram Bush WarblerSeram Bush WarblerLocustella musculusTaliabu Bush WarblerTaliabu Bush WarblerLocustella portenta
Lanceolated Warbler

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Александр Чегодаев. ↗

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