Broad-tailed Grassbird     Schoenicola platyurus

Etymology: 

• Schoenicola : Greek word schoenus –rush, reed ; cola- dweller

• Platyurus : Greek word platus – broad;  ouros -tailed. 

Vernacular Names:  Mal: Potakkili, Mar: runda Shepaticha gavati Vatvatya

Distribution in India: Resident of Western Ghats.

Description: Size of 18 cm; weight of 20 g. It is a distinctive warbler with rear-heavy appearance created by combination of small head and bill, relatively long and broad tail, strongly graduated, and voluminous undertail-coverts loosely extending over half-way down tail; plumage rather variable, depending on locality and feather wear. The male in South of range has head and upperparts, including wings, almost uniform reddish-brown, diffuse paler supercilium and lores, darker brown uppertail-coverts. It has often very indistinct barring on tertials, rump and uppertail-coverts. The tail is dark brown with indistinct fine darker barring, blackish on underside, each feather pale-tipped. It is whitish below, becoming warm buff on breast and flanks, brownish undertail-coverts with pale scalloping; underwing-coverts are pale buff.

In North range (Central Western Ghats), plumage duller and greyer above, with reddish-brown wings, and whiter below; iris is dull brown; bill is dark grey-brown, paler lower mandible, during breeding all blackish, black inside mouth; legs are pale flesh-grey. The female is like male but smaller, with paler bill. The juvenile has head and upperparts uniformly reddish-brown, tail feathers narrower and without pale tips, underparts are washed yellow. 

Habitat: It is found in grassy and bracken-covered hillsides and ridgetops, reeds and grass-swamp in depressions between ridges and mixed grassland and stunted date palms, and other scrubby or bushy cover on upper slopes. It is found from 900 m to 2000 m.

Food habits: It eats small invertebrates, insects. It is solitary and skulking. It forages on the ground, slipping through dense grass with great agility. If flushed, flies low, with droopy tail appearing awkwardly balanced, soon dropping back into cover. It is most active in early morning and towards sunset, when sings and calls from grass heads, fences or even telegraph wires.

Breeding habits: They breed in Jul–Sept. In song flight, they soar to 4–5 m, with tail fanned, while repeatedly “chirruping”, terminates display with a parachute-like glide down into cover. The nest is built by female. The nest is a bulky ball of coarse dry grasses, entrance hole at side, well concealed in tall dense grass or tussock. They lay a clutch of 2-3 eggs.