Sichuan Bush Warbler (Locustella chengi)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Sichuan Bush Warbler

Locustella chengi Alström, Xia, Rasmussen, Olsson, Dai B, Zhao J, Leader, Carey, Dong L, Cai T, Holt, PI, Hung Le Manh, Song G, Liu Y, Zhang Y & Lei F, 2015

≈12 cmLength10 gWeight

This small bird inhabits dense scrub and tea plantations, giving a long buzz followed by a short click.

Busiest months: May · Most records: China

Looks like Russet Bush Warbler

Least Concern

How to identify

Voice

A long buzz followed by a shorter click, often repeated continuously.

Similar species

Russet Bush Warbler
Russet Bush Warbler

Similar in appearance; elevation and call help distinguish them: Sichuan Bush Warbler occurs below 1,900 m and has a lower pitch, while Russet Bush Warbler occurs above 1,850 m and calls at about 6,000 Hz.

Where and when it's recorded

Sichuan Bush Warbler has been recorded at 39 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Longcanggou [General Area]China145 records
  2. Kuankuoshui NNRChina24 records
  3. Tanshi VillageChina21 records
More places
  1. Wawu Mountain [General Area]China20 records
  2. Longcanggou – Ganziping Uphill TrailChina19 records
  3. Longcanggou – Xijian Zhushe InnChina15 records
  4. Balang Shan [General Area]China12 records
  5. Longcanggou – DashibaChina10 records
  6. Dalaoling National Forest ParkChina9 records
  7. Lamasery, WolongChina7 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China

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 Sichuan bush warbler (Locustella chengi) lives primarily in the thick brush and on tea plantations in five mountainous provinces of central China. It is a relatively small bird with a weight of 10 grams and an average length of 13 cm. Unlike its congener the russet bush warbler, which is found in the same mountains and also in Himalayas, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, the Sichuan bush warbler prefers elevations below 7,500 feet.

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

Questions

How big is the Sichuan Bush Warbler?

The Sichuan Bush Warbler is about ≈12 cm long and weighs around 10 g.

Where does the Sichuan Bush Warbler live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: montane central China. It is most often recorded in China.

When is the best time to see the Sichuan Bush Warbler?

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

Is the Sichuan Bush Warbler endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Sichuan Bush Warbler as Least Concern.

What does the Sichuan Bush Warbler eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Sichuan Bush Warbler in?

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

At a glance

Length
≈12 cm
Weight
10 g
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
50 mm
Tail
55 mm
Bill
13 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

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

Range

Oriental: montane central China

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Grassbirds & Allies Locustellidae
Genus
Locustella

Other birds in the genus Locustella

Lanceolated WarblerLanceolated WarblerLocustella lanceolataBamboo 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 musculus
Sichuan Bush Warbler

Download illustration

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

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages