Old World Warblers (Sylviidae)

Broad-tailed Grassbird (Schoenicola platyurus) - HBW 11, p. 584

French: Graminicole à queue large German: Rundschwanzsänger Spanish: Yerbera Coliancha
Other common names: (Indian) Broad-tailed Grass-warbler, Broad-tailed Warbler

Taxonomy: Thimalia platyura Jerdon, 1841, Goodaloor, foot of Nilgiri Hills, southern India.
Treated as forming a superspecies with S. brevirostris. Often considered conspecific, and, in view of strong similarities between them, this perhaps a better treatment; critical comparison of vocalizations needed. Distinct differences between birds from N of range (larger, duller and greyer above, contrasting reddish-brown wings, whiter below) and those from S (rather smaller, darker reddish-brown above, buff below); significance of this, which apparently not due to effects of plumage wear, is unclear and requires investigation. Monotypic.

Distribution: Western Ghats of SW India, locally from W Maharashtra S to E Kerala and W Tamil Nadu.