Green-crowned Warbler
Phylloscopus burkii
Medium-sized warbler with green upperparts, yellow underparts, a bright yellow eyering, and a gray crown bound by two black stripes. Extremely similar to several closely related species; luckily, range prevents much confusion throughout these species’ natural ranges. Primary confusion species is Whistler’s Warbler, from which it may be distinguished visually, albeit with significant difficulty. In Green-crowned, note weak break at rear of eye-ring (while the eyering of Whistler’s is thickest at the back end), longer and more slender bill, shorter tail, more solidly black crown stripes, and slightly brighter green upperparts. As with many physically similar species, using a combination of these field marks is preferable in identification. Active, frequently flitting about in the lower levels of forest, sometimes associating with foraging flocks. Breeds in both evergreen and deciduous broadleaved forest in hilly and montane areas; moves to lowland areas in the winter. Averages lower than Whistler’s Warbler in altitudinal breeding preference, and overlap is fairly minimal. Song is a strung-together series of ringing “witchy-witchy-witchy” or “tzewee-tzewee-tzewee” phrases, and unlike song of Whistler’s, includes jumbled trilling segments. Call is a short, succinct “wit wit!”.
Identification
The green-crowned warbler (Phylloscopus burkii) is a species of leaf warbler (family Phylloscopidae). It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in the Indian subcontinent, ranging across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. A single sighting was recorded from Sigiriya, Sri Lanka in 1993. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. The green-crowned warbler was previously placed in the genus Seicercus. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2018 found that neither Phylloscopus nor Seicercus were monophyletic. In the subsequent reorganization the two genera were merged into Phylloscopus which has priority under the rules of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.
Taxonomy
Genus: Phylloscopus; Family: Phylloscopidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Phylloscopus burkii
- Authority
- (Burton, E, 1836)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Phylloscopidae
- Genus
- Phylloscopus
Range and habitat
Breeding range: OR : Himalayas. Non-breeding range: n India.
- Breeding range
- OR : Himalayas
- Non-breeding range
- n India
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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