Helopsaltes

Helopsaltes is a genus of passerine birds in the grassbird family Locustellidae.

Helopsaltes
Middendorff's grasshopper warbler (Helopsaltes ochotensis)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Locustellidae
Genus:	Helopsaltes Alström, Cibois, Irestedt, Zuccon, Gelang, Fjeldså, Andersen, Moyle, Pasquet & Olsson, 2018

A comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of the grassbird family Locustellidae published in 2018 found that the genus Locustella consisted of two distinct clades. The genus was split and six species were moved to the newly described genus Helopsaltes with Pallas's grasshopper warbler (Helopsaltes certhiola) as the type species. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ἕλος/helos meaning "marshy ground" and ψάλτης/psaltis "a chanter".^[1][2]

As well as the genetic separation, the species of Helopsaltes also differ markedly from Locustella in song structure, with varied, 'flowing' warbling songs as opposed to the repetitive and often metronomic insect- (particularly grasshopper)-like songs of Locustella species.^[1] They are very similar to Locustella species in their cryptic camouflaged plumage, with no differing genus-wide characters; they also show a similar range of size (12–18 cm) to Locustella.^[1]

The genus contains the following species:^[2]

• Sakhalin grasshopper warbler (Helopsaltes amnicola)
• Gray's grasshopper warbler (Helopsaltes fasciolatus)
• Marsh grassbird (Helopsaltes pryeri)
• Pallas's grasshopper warbler (Helopsaltes certhiola)
• Styan's grasshopper warbler (Helopsaltes pleskei)
• Middendorff's grasshopper warbler (Helopsaltes ochotensis)