Moustached Grass Warbler (Melocichla mentalis) [XC429998]
by Frank Lambert from Uluguru Mts. near Tegetero Mission, Morogoro Region, Tanzania (song)
Moustached Grass Warbler (Melocichla mentalis) [XC567839]
by Arnon Dattner from Kinjila, Angola (song)
Subspecies
Genus has sometimes been merged with Sphenoeacus, and present species then placed in a superspecies with Cape Grassbird (Sphenoeacus afer) and Rockrunner (Achaetops pycnopygius). However, Rockrunner (Achaetops pycnopygius), now classed as a babbler (Timaliidae), Cape Grassbird (Sphenoeacus afer) and Moustached Grass-warbler (Melocichla mentalis) are now thought not to be closely related. Subspecies amauroura intergrades with nominate in Uele region of eastern DRCongo.
Proposed subspecies incana known only from type locality of Momella, on Mt Meru (north-eastern Tanzania). More information is required in order to confirm validity.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
mentalis (Fraser, 1843) - Southern Senegal south to northern Liberia, and east to Central African Republic and northern DRCongo; southern Gabon east to southern DRCongo (east to Kasai and Maniema); northern and west-central Angola and north-western Zambia.
amauroura (Pelzeln, 1883) - Southern Sudan and south-western Ethiopia south to eastern DRCongo, Uganda, western, central and south-eastern Kenya, western and northern Tanzania (southern, in north-east, to Kilimanjaro and Arusha) and northern and central Zambia.
orientalis (Sharpe, 1883) - Eastern and southern Tanzania, Malawi and adjacent eastern Zambia, eastern Zimbabwe highlands, and northern and central Mozambique.
luangwae Benson, 1958 - Eastern Zambia (plateau of eastern Province).
incana Diesselhorst, 1959 - North-eastern Tanzania (Mt. Meru).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet