Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence under 20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (under 10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be over 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (over 30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as rare and localised throughout its range (del Hoyo et al. 2006). The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.
Trend justification
The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.
This taxon comprises two subspecies. The nominate is known from west Ethiopia at Didessa (Shoa Province), Bulcha forest (Sidamo Province) and Gambela, south Sudan, from Gilo where is was frequent in 1997, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, from the plateau west of Lake Albert and Rwenzoris south to the mountains north-west of Baraka, Bunia (Ituri District), Nyangabo (South Lendu plateau) and Lwiro and Dipidi in Upemba National Park, although it may also occur in the south-east of the country, and west Uganda, at Bugoma Forest and Mubuku Valley. Subspecies kungwensis occurs in west Tanzania at Mount Kungwe and Mount Mahari, with an isolated population in Mwinilunga District, north-west Zambia, and is rare and localized throughout its range, although the reasons for its rarity remain obscure (Urban et al. 1997, Collar and Stuart 1985).
The species is found in a wide variety of habitats, mainly bamboo but also areas of high grass and dense cover both in and outside forest and in forest edge, from 1,100-2,300 m, and from 525-1,260 m in Ethiopia (Sibley and Monroe 1990, Urban et al. 1997). In the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia it occurs in a complex mosaic of riverine marshland, Combretum/Terminalia savanna, crops, and mixed deciduous woodland, also occurring near villages (Urban et al. 1997). In Sudan it inhabits grassy secondary growth and in Zambia moist evergreen forest (Urban et al. 1997). Its breeding ecology is unknown (Urban et al. 1997). It keeps to the ground stratum, mainly below 1.5 m, feeding on insects (Urban et al. 1997).
Text account compilers
Rutherford, C.A.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Bamboo Warbler Locustella alfredi. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/bamboo-warbler-locustella-alfredi on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.