Also known as the bristled grass warbler, this species is endemic to the Indian subcontinent, where it is patchily distributed in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

These insectivorous birds skulk in dense and tall grasslands, often in marshy areas, habitats that are threatened by human activities.

[6] This species was included in the "Old World warbler" family Sylviidae, in the genus Chaetornis[7] but more comprehensive studies on external morphology and DNA sequence studies, have led to its placement in the grass warbler family Locustellidae in the genus Schoenicola as a sister species of S.

[8] This genus in the warbler family is distinctive in having a bare patch of skin in front of the eyes (the lores) on which a vertical row of five stiff rictal bristles arise and face forward.

It was formerly described as common in at least Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa,[10] Lahore (where they bred in the Rakh area),[11] parts of Bangladesh, and Nepal.