The taxonomic status of Rufous-rumped Grassbird Graminicola bengalensis, with comments on its distribution and status

We examine the taxonomic status of the three taxa of Rufous-rumped Grassbird Graminicola bengalensis based on a combination of morphology, mitochondrial DNA and vocalisations. We find sinicus and striatus to be extremely similar in morphology, and that sinicus and bengalensis exhibit morphological, vocal and genetic differences (due to the lack of modern records of striatus it was not possible to include that taxon for vocal and genetic analysis). We propose that sinicus be treated as a synonym of striatus (the latter has priority) and that there are probably species level differences between striatus (s.s.) and bengalensis.