Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler
Helopsaltes amnicola
A nondescript songbird that skulks in taiga undergrowth, where very difficult to see well. Breeds on Hokkaido, Sakhalin Island, and the Kuril Islands. Very similar to Gray’s Grasshopper-Warbler, which breeds on mainland of far northeastern Asia and has a different song. Migrants very difficult to distinguish from Gray’s, but Sakhalin averages warmer-toned and browner, with perhaps a slightly paler throat. Sings from deep cover, day and night, a hurried, loud, choppy song.
Identification
This is the largest of all the Locustella warblers, approaching the size of the great reed warbler. The adult has an unstreaked olive-brown back, uniformly grey breast and buff underparts, with unmottled dull orange undertail coverts.<p>The song is a short phrase, loud and distinctive; nothing like the insect-like reeling of European Locustella species, and more musical than that of Pallas's grasshopper warbler.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Helopsaltes amnicola
- Authority
- (Stepanyan, 1972)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Locustellidae
- Genus
- Helopsaltes
Range and habitat
This small passerine bird breeds on Sakhalin, the southern Kuril Islands and Hokkaido. It is a species found in lowland and coastal regions, nesting in forests or thickets.
- Breeding range
- PAL : Sakhalin and s Kuril Is. (Russia) and Hokkaido (n Japan)
- Non-breeding range
- unknown but likely Philippines and Wallacea
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Crithagra albogularis
A large, unstreaked drab canary with facial markings, a white throat, and a yellow-green rump. A pale eyebrow and heavy bill further differentiate it. Pairs and small groups occur in a variety of arid environments including coastal heathland, Karoo, arid grassland, and thorn scrub, where they are resident and nomadic, wandering in flocks after breeding. The species has a typical sweet canary song including some imitations of other species, and the call is a distinctive tri-syllabic “speak-to-me.” The similar Protea Canary differs from White-throated Canary by having a black chin, a pale bill, and two distinctive wingbars visible at close range.
Hutton's Shearwater
Puffinus huttoni
A medium-sized brown-and-white shearwater with darker upperparts extending to the head. A dark brown mottled collar extends down from the neck and fades into the white breast and underparts. The underwings have an off-white central patch that merges into the dark borders of the wing with distinctly dusky “armpits.” Breeds solely on the mainland of New Zealand, where nesting is restricted to steep tussock slopes in the alpine zone of the Seaward Kaikoura mountains. Slightly larger and darker than the Fluttering Shearwater, with less white showing on the chin and throat.
White-winged Tapaculo
Scytalopus krabbei
Described to science in 2020, this tapaculo was long overlooked due to its similarity with other species. It ranges in high elevation cloud forest along the east slope of the Andes in northern and central Peru. Plumage is mainly gray with brownish rear parts that are faintly barred. It has a few white feathers on the shoulder, which distinguishes it from all other tapaculos in Peru, but this feature is very hard to see in the field. Female is browner than male. Currently it is known from only a few sites, but will likely be found more widely now that its vocalizations are known. Song is a steady series of buzzy calls; the first few notes may be slower paced and higher pitched. Also gives a quick burst of sharp notes, repeated every few seconds. Stays low and is usually hard to see.
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