Photo: Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Moustached Grass Warbler
Melocichla mentalis
Moustached Grass Warbler (Melocichla mentalis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Moustached Grass Warbler (Melocichla mentalis) is a member of the Macrosphenidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 33.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Macrosphenidae Crombecs, African Warblers
- Genus Melocichla
- Species mentalis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 33.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Macrosphenidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Moustached Grass Warbler is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Moustached Grass Warbler is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Moustached Grass Warbler (Melocichla mentalis) belongs to the Macrosphenidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 33.2 g, with a wing length of about 7.5 cm and a tail of around 9.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Moustached Grass Warbler?
The Moustached Grass Warbler is a small bird that weighs around 33.2 g.
Where does the Moustached Grass Warbler live?
The Moustached Grass Warbler is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Moustached Grass Warbler belong to?
The Moustached Grass Warbler (Melocichla mentalis) belongs to the Macrosphenidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Moustached Grass Warbler eat?
The Moustached Grass Warbler is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Moustached Grass Warbler migrate?
The Moustached Grass Warbler is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Moustached Grass Warbler endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Moustached Grass Warbler make?
1 real field recording of the Moustached Grass Warbler — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Moustached Grass Warbler's range?
The Moustached Grass Warbler has a mapped global range of about 6.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Macrosphenidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.