Lanceolated Warbler

Strichelschwirl ( Locustella lanceolata)

The Strichelschwirl ( Locustella lanceolata ) is a to the Warblers ( Sylviidae ) belonging Songbird. There are two subspecies.

The occurring from northeastern Europe to Japan Strichelschwirl is a very rare Irrgast in Central Europe. Individuals of this species were observed in the period between 1988 and 2002 five times in Belgium and once each in the Netherlands and on Helgoland.

Features

The 11.5-12.5 cm long Strichelschwirl is a short-necked and kurzschwänziger bird with dull brown plumage that is striped upper side black and dashed black undersides. Males and females are colored alike.

Distribution and habitat

The breeding range extends from north-eastern Europe on the northern Asian Taiga up on the Japanese island of Hokkaidō. The nominate Locustella lanceolata lanceolata comes from northeastern Europe before to Kamchatka. The subspecies L. l hendersoni is distributed from Sakhalin to Japan. The Strichelschwirl is a long-distance migrant, the most important wintering quarters extending into Southeast Asia to the West Java and Bangladesh. Breeding Birds of Western Siberia draw first 5000 km in an easterly direction and then migrate over eastern China further 4,000 to 6,000 miles to the south. The departure in the winter quarters starts in mid- August. According to West Siberia, they return in the period from mid- May to early June. The European breeding bird population is estimated at 50,000 to 100,000 breeding pairs. That might account for a little less than five percent of the world's population.

The Strichelschwirl lives in dense bush and grassland near water. More often than Streifenschwirl it is also found in dry terrain. In their wintering sites they are frequently observed in rice fields.

Behavior

This insectivores moves hidden in the grass and in deep foliage. In a nest in a tuft of grass five eggs are incubated.