Megalurus palustris Horsfield, 1821

Scientific Classification

The striated grassbird, whose scientific name is Megalurus palustris, is an Old World warbler species in the family Locustellidae. It was formerly classified in the family Sylviidae. Currently, it is the only species placed in the genus Megalurus.

Geographic Range

This species can be found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Behavior

It is noisy and conspicuous, and it often sits and calls from exposed positions on the tops of grasses, bushes, and telephone wires.

Identification Features

It can be identified by its streaked crown and streaked upper breast.

Range Size Conservation Assessment

This species has an extremely large range, so it does not meet the criteria to be classified as Vulnerable under the range size criterion, which applies when Extent of Occurrence is less than 20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, declining or fluctuating habitat extent or quality, declining or fluctuating population size, a small number of locations, or severe fragmentation.

Population Trend Conservation Assessment

The population trend of the striated grassbird has not been documented, but the population is not believed to be decreasing rapidly enough to meet the Vulnerable threshold under the population trend criterion, which is a greater than 30% decline over ten years or three generations.

Population Size Conservation Assessment

The total population size of this species has not been quantified, but it is not believed to meet the Vulnerable threshold under the population size criterion, which applies when there are fewer than 10,000 mature individuals with an estimated continuing decline of greater than 10% in ten years or three generations, or a specified at-risk population structure.

Conservation Status

For all these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Historical Genus Composition

The genus Megalurus formerly included more species than it does today.

2018 Phylogenetic Study Findings

A comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of the grassbird family Locustellidae published in 2018 found that the original Megalurus genus was non-monophyletic.

Post-Study Taxonomic Reorganization

In the taxonomic reorganization that followed the study, five species were moved to the resurrected genus Poodytes, and four species were moved to Cincloramphus. This taxonomic change left only the striated grassbird as the sole species remaining in the genus Megalurus.