Alternative names: Fly River Grass-warbler, D'Albertis's Grassbird
- Poodytes albolimbatus
Megalurus albolimbatus
Identification
14-15 cm. A little, colourful grassbird with a bright reddish crown.
- Buffish-white lores and supercilium, grey-buff ear-coverts
- Reddish-cinnamon crown and upperparts, bold black streaking on mantle and scapulars
- Reddish-brown wings with blackish feather centres, tertials black-centred, with white border on both webs (creating a white panel on closed wing)
- Dusky brown tail with reddish-brown edges
- White malar region, throat and central underparts, buffy wash on breast becoming warmer buff on flanks and undertail-coverts
Sexes similar, males slightly larger than females. Juveniles similar to adults.
Similar species
Has shorter and more round-tipped tail than Tawny Grassbird. Note also unstreaked crown, white wingpanel and more distinct pale supercilium.
Distribution
South-east Asia: South-eastern New Guinea (Fly River lowlands).
Very local in its small range. Population densities poorly known. Seems to be in decline.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Found in lowland swamps.
Behaviour
Usually keeps well hidden, low down in reeds, close to the waterline. Rarely seen in the open, occasionally out on floating lotus-lily. Typically only seen when flushed by a boat.
Diet
Not well known, feeds most likely on tiny invertebrates.
Breeding
Poorly known. Breeding season May to November in dry season. The nest is a ball made of interwoven dry grasses with an entrance hole at side near top. It's placed 0.6 m above the water level close to the base of a grass stand or near an edge of a lagoon.
Movements
This is a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and D Christie, eds. 2006. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553064
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Fly River Grassbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Fly_River_Grassbird
