Japanese Bush Warbler
Horornis diphone
A small, plain brown warbler of dense undergrowth. Note the narrow dark line through eye and the narrow white line above the eye. Occurs in forest understory, dense shrubland, bamboo thickets, and forest edges. Usually secretive and hard to see well, but males sometimes sing from an exposed perch. Song is a long introductory tone followed by a rapid warble, “uuuuuu-guisu,” from which the Japanese name is derived. Introduced to the Hawaiian Islands where it occurs on all of the main islands.
Identification
The Japanese bush warbler is olive brown above and tending toward dusky colors below. It has pale eyebrows. It has a beak that curves up making it look like it is smiling. The bird is typically 15.5 centimetres (6.1 in) in length.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Horornis diphone
- Authority
- (Kittlitz, 1830)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cettiidae
- Genus
- Horornis
Range and habitat
The Japanese bush warbler is a common year-round resident throughout Japan (except Hokkaidō) and the northern Philippines. In summer the Japanese bush warbler can also be found in Hokkaidō, Manchuria, Korea, and central China. In winter, the bush-warbler can also be found in southern China and Taiwan.<p>It was introduced to Oahu between 1929–1941 and has since spread throughout the main Hawaiian Islands.<p>In summer, it ranges from low hills to high mountains, preferring bamboo thickets and black pine trees. In winter it seeks cover at lower elevations.
- Breeding range
- PAL : Sakhalin Is. to Japan and Ryukyu Is. and e, c China
- Non-breeding range
- s, se China, Taiwan and se Asia
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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