Long-Billed Bush Warbler

 Long-Billed Bush Warbler : Recently, the elusive Long-Billed Bush Warbler was spotted in India for the first time in 46 years, with a confirmed sighting by a team of birders in Ladakh’s Suru Valley.

• About Long-Billed Bush Warbler : Medium-sized bush warbler (songbird) with a long tail and long bill

  o Scientific Name: Locustella major

  o Distribution: Found in Central Asian mountain ranges and recorded in China, India, Pakistan, and Tajikistan

  o Distinct Features: Long tail and long bill and size is 15–17 cm in length

  ü Brownish-olive plumage with fine streaking on the back

  ü Whitish or buff underparts

  ü Both sexes look similar

  ü Extremely skulking and elusive in behavior, prefers to run rather than fly

  ü Known for a dull clicking song, often compared to a grasshopper

  o Habitat: Prefers grassy slopes with bushes, weeds, and grass

  ü Found around upland terraced cultivation, alpine meadows, and forest clearings

  ü Altitude range: 2400–3600 meters

  o Conservation Status: Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List