Sakhalin Leaf Warbler
Phylloscopus borealoides
Small songbird, virtually identical in plumage to Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, of which it was formerly considered a subspecies. Vertical tail pumping distinguishes this species from most others in its range except Pale-legged. Forages through the different layers of forest and like Pale-legged (and unlike most other leaf warblers) sometimes forages on the ground. Call note is a hard metallic “pit,” similar to Pale-legged, but marginally lower in frequency (visible on spectrogram); song a series of rhythmic whistles with clear distinctions between each note, very unlike the high, rapid trill of Pale-legged. Breeds in forest edges and clearings; can be found in a range of wooded habitats in migration and on wintering grounds.
Identification
It has a long white supercilium and broad, dark brown eye-stripes. Its crown, upper parts, and bill are also dark brown. It has greenish-brown cheeks and its ear-coverts are mottled. Its bill has a pink base that extends to the lower mandible. Its legs are pale pinkish-brown. <p>It is easily confused with the pale-legged leaf warbler. One possible distinguishing feature is that its upperparts are slightly more greenish. It is more easily distinguished by its lower-pitched vocalizations, but some overlap does exist in the species' pitch ranges.
Taxonomy
Genus: Phylloscopus; Family: Phylloscopidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Phylloscopus borealoides
- Authority
- Portenko, 1950
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Phylloscopidae
- Genus
- Phylloscopus
Range and habitat
Breeding range: PAL : Sakhalin (se Russia) and s Kuril Is., Hokkaido and Honshu (n, c Japan). Non-breeding range: poorly known; se Asia, Singapore, Ryukyu Is. (s Japan).
- Breeding range
- PAL : Sakhalin (se Russia) and s Kuril Is., Hokkaido and Honshu (n, c Japan)
- Non-breeding range
- poorly known; se Asia, Singapore, Ryukyu Is. (s Japan)
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Freckled Duck
Stictonetta naevosa
Very finely-speckled dark-grayish duck with a dark eye and an obvious peaked crown. Beak is strongly curved like a ski-jump. Breeding males have a red base to their bill. Upper-wing is dark, while under-wing is paler gray. When perched, distinguish from Hardhead (which have a pale belly patch). Generally uncommon; found beside inland waterholes and ponds. More reliable inland, but can be common one year and absent the next from any given location.
Yellow-knobbed Curassow
Crax daubentoni
A large, elegant black and white turkey-like bird with a prominent curly crest. Both sexes have a white belly and white tipped tail, but the male has a larger crest and yellow base to the bill with a large yellow knob; female is faintly barred white on the breast and has dark gray bill lacking the knob. No overlap with other curassow species. Found in dry forest, gallery forest, and humid forest; most often encountered walking in understory or crossing trails in small groups, but sometimes also seen perched higher in trees. Vocally active in breeding season; song is a surprisingly high-pitched, long, descending whistle “WHEEEeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuu,” reminiscent of a raptor.
Rock Sparrow
Petronia petronia
Odd-looking, chunky, sparrowlike bird with a strong bill. Body is heavily streaked; most distinctive features are the dark brown crown and well-marked pale eyebrows. A yellow spot on the throat is rarely visible in the field. Found in open and rocky country from stony hillsides to villages and farmland. The call "vui" is quite memorable.
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