Overview

Japanese Bush-Warbler: This small songbird has gray-brown upperparts, rufous-brown on the wings and tail, a tan-gray eyebrow, a black-gray line through the eye and gray underparts. It has tan on the bill and legs, short wings, and a long tail. It feeds actively on insects. It has a short, direct flight with bursts of rapid wing beats. The genders are the same color, but the male is larger.

Voice Text

"Ho, ho, ho, ho, hew, chirup!"

• A group of warblers has many collective nouns, including a "bouquet", "confusion", "fall", and "wrench" of warblers.
• In Japan, the song of this species is viewed as a sign of spring.
• The droppings of the Japanese Bush-Warbler are the main component in a skin cream that has been used by Geishas and Kibuki actors for hundreds of years.
• This species is often referred to as the Japanese Nightingale due to its pleasant song and plain plumage.

Bush Warblers, Tesias and Allies (Cettidae)

ORDER

The bush warblers, tesias and allies are just one of the one hundred forty-two families of birds in the order PASSERIFORMES (pronounced pas-ser-i-FOR-meez); a large taxonomic order that includes bird families such as the vireos, wrens, and waxwings.

FAMILY TAXONOMY

There are thirty-eight species of bush warblers in eleven genera in the Cettidae (pronounced CHE-tuh-dee), a family mostly found in eastern and southern Asia.

NORTH AMERICA

There is one species of the Cettidae that occurs in North America. This is the Japanese Bush-Warbler, a species that has been introduced to the Hawaiian Islands.

KNOWN FOR

The members of this family are known for their small size, skulking behavior, and challenges they pose for identification. The Japanese Bush-Warbler is also well known in Japan and on the Hawaiian island of Oahu for its commonly heard vocalizations.

PHYSICAL

The bush warblers, tesias and allies are small birds with thin, medium-length bills. Most have short wings, short to medium tails, and legs with strong feet for perching in trees and bushes.

COLORATION

Members of the Cettidae are plumaged in shades of brown, gray, white, and yellow. Some tropical species show chestnut on the crown and face and most species show a light-colored superciliary, eye rings, or a dark line through the eye.

GEOGRAPHIC HABITAT

Members of the Cettidae can occur in gardens, second growth, and various types of subtropical and tropical forests. The one species that occurs in North America frequents a variety of garden and woodland habitats.

MIGRATION

Most members of this family are permanent residents. A few species undertake short distance migrations whereas the Japanese Bush-Warbler migrates from Japan to southern China and Taiwan for the winter.

HABITS

Cettidae species form pairs but can also be seen on their own. Few species forage with other birds and are usually encountered alone as they glean arthropods off of leaves and other dense, low vegetation.

CONSERVATION

The sole North American member of this family is not threatened with extinction. However, two species of bush warblers restricted to the islands of Bougainville and Tanimbar have become near threatened because of habitat destruction in their small ranges.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Cettidae family was recently created. Before then, bush warblers were believed to be members of the Sylviidae family (Old World warblers). The Japanese Bush-Warbler plays an important role in Japanese culture. Its song is viewed as a sign of spring, it has often been featured in poetry, and its droppings are used to whiten the skin and remove stains from kimonos.

Artist

Chris Vest