Birdsong field guide
Pleske's Grasshopper Warbler
Helopsaltes pleskei
A rare and elusive East Asian passerine, Pleske's Grasshopper Warbler is a coastal specialist closely related to the Middendorff’s Grasshopper Warbler.
What it sounds like
A rapid, mechanical metallic trill similar to the sound of a grasshopper, often lasting several seconds without pause.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Field notes
- It is currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to its small, fragmented breeding range and habitat loss from coastal development.
- Formerly classified in the genus Locustella, it was moved to Helopsaltes following molecular phylogenetic revisions.
- It is a 'secretive' species, typically staying deep within dense vegetation and rarely seen in the open except when singing.
- The species is nearly identical to Styan's Grasshopper Warbler but can be distinguished by its lack of prominent white tips on the tail feathers.
- Its breeding sites are largely restricted to small, uninhabited offshore islands in the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan.
Habitat
Coastal thickets, shrubby islands, and tall grasslands near the sea.
Range
Breeds on islands off the coasts of Russia, Japan, and Korea; winters in Southeast Asia and Southern China.
Similar & commonly confused birds
Gray's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes fasciolatusMarsh GrassbirdHelopsaltes pryeriMiddendorff's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes ochotensisPallas's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes certhiolaPleske's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes pleskeiSakhalin Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes amnicolaSakhalin Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes amnicola
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