Blyth's Leaf Warbler
Phylloscopus reguloides
Fairly bright mid-sized leaf-warbler, yellowish-green above and white below with two wingbars, a broad yellow-suffused eyebrow, and a pale stripe across a gray crown. Amount of white in the tail is intermediate between White-tailed Leaf-Warbler and Emei Leaf-Warbler. A brighter crown stripe separates Blyth’s from the Emei, and unique behavior serves to distinguish this species from White-tailed: Blyth’s constantly flicks wings one after the other, while White-tailed flicks them simultaneously. Kloss’s Leaf-Warbler is much brighter overall, especially on the head and vent. Hartert’s and Claudia’s Leaf-Warblers are closely related, physically similar, and may pose issues in areas of overlap: look out for a more yellowish breast on Hartert’s and a whiter eyebrow and less white in the tail in Claudia’s. Blyth’s song is a high “tsi-tsslehlee-tsslehlee” or “tsi-tchew-witty-tchew-witty-tchew,” with the introductory note separating it from Hartert’s but not always Claudia’s. Breeds in broadleaf (often oak), coniferous, or mixed forests at middle to high elevations, and descends into lower foothill regions in the winter.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Phylloscopus reguloides
- Authority
- (Blyth, 1842)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Phylloscopidae
- Genus
- Phylloscopus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-eyed Puffback
Dryoscopus senegalensis
A shrike-like bird of thickets in secondary forest and forest edge, often seen high above the ground. Has a bicolored appearance, being wholly white below and almost entirely iridescent black above except for a white rump, a red eye, and the female’s white lores. Similar to several bicolored shrikelike birds in the region, but note Red-eyed Puffback’s behavior as it perches laterally like a bushshrike, as well as its red eye, hoarse voice, and relatively small bill. Shy but vocal, giving sharp, well spaced “kyew! kyew! kyew!” calls, repeated “reuw, reuw, reuw” calls, and rising trilled calls preceded by quick chatters.
Red-billed Duck
Anas erythrorhyncha
This small duck has a solidly chocolate-brown ‘skull cap’, white cheeks, and a distinctive pink-red bill with a dark saddle. In flight, the buff flight feathers with a black stripe are distinctive on otherwise all-brown wings. It prefers foraging on open fresh water, with seeds and plant matter forming the majority of its diet. The similar Blue-billed Teal differs from Red-billed Duck by being smaller and having a silvery-blue bill and dark smudges on the cheeks. Cape Teal and Bernier’s Teal (the latter endemic to Madagascar) both lack the strongly contrasting face pattern of Red-billed Duck.
Chestnut-and-black Weaver
Ploceus castaneofuscus
Males have an unusual and distinctive coloration: mostly black, with a chestnut back and belly. Females are brownish-olive, with paler underparts, and a rufous tinge to the rump. Both sexes have a pale eye: yellow in males and pale-brown in females. Found in wet scrub, cultivation, and along forest edge. Usually found in flocks and bustling breeding colonies. Vocalizations are typical of weavers: “chet” notes and a sizzling, “radio static” song. Females could be confused with various other weaver species, but are usually identified by their association with the distinctive males.
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