• Locustellinae Bonaparte, C.L. 1854. Conspectus systematis ornithologiae. Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie 4 1(2): 105-152 [118].

Introduction

While previously named Megaluridae, the current composition of the family and the inclusion of the genus Locustella, means that the family becomes Locustellidae since Locustellinae Bonaparte, 1854 has priority over Megalurinae Blyth, 1875.

Alström et al. (2011) recognised only four genera in Locustellidae: Locustella (Locustella and all Asian Bradypterus), Bradypterus (African species only), Schoenicola (only S. brevirostris studied) and Megalurus (including Eremiornis carteri, Cincloramphus cruralis and C. mathewsi). Based on the same results used by Alström et al. (2011), Dickinson & Christidis (2014) and del Hoyo & Collar (2016) restricted Megalurus to M. palustris (type species), placed M. timoriensis and M. macrurus into Cincloramphus, and resurrected Poodytes from synonymy with Megaluris for M. gramineus, M. punctatus, M. caudatus, M. rufescens, M. carteri and M. albolimbatus. We follow this arrangement as further supported and discussed in Alström et al. (2018).

Excluded Taxa

LOCUSTELLIDAE: Megalurus Horsfield, 1821 [Megalurus restricted to M. palustris (type species of the genus)]

Vagrant Species

CAVS:8095
MEGALURIDAE: Locustella certhiola (Pallas, 1811) [Pallas's Grasshopper-Warbler]

CAVS:8096
MEGALURIDAE: Locustella ochotensis (von Middendorff, 1853) [Middendorff's Grasshopper-Warbler]

History of changes

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

IBRA

ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Burt Plain (BRT), Central Arnhem (CA), Carnarvon (CAR), Channel Country (CHC), Central Kimberley (CK), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Coolgardie (COO), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Central Ranges (CR), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Dampierland (DL), Davenport Murchison Ranges (DMR), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Finke (FIN), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Flinders (FLI), Gascoyne (GAS), Gawler (GAW), Gibson Desert (GD), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Great Sandy Desert (GSD), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Great Victoria Desert (GVD), Hampton (HAM), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), Little Sandy Desert (LSD), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Mallee (MAL), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Mulga Lands (ML), Murchison (MUR), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), Northern Kimberley (NK), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Nullarbor (NUL), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Pilbara (PIL), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD), Stony Plains (STP), Sturt Plateau (STU), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tanami (TAN), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Wet Tropics (WT), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Australian Capital Territory
  • New South Wales: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
  • Northern Territory: Lake Eyre basin, N Gulf, N coastal, W plateau
  • Queensland: Murray-Darling basin, N Gulf, NE coastal
  • South Australia
  • Victoria
  • Western Australia: N coastal
• East Timor
• Indonesia
  • Irian Jaya
  • Sulawesi (Celebes)
  • Sumba
  • West Timor
• Papua New Guinea

Oriental Region

• Philippines
  • Cebu
  • Leyte
  • Luzon
  • Mindanao
  • Mindoro
  • Negros
  • Panay
  • Samar

History of changes