Emei Leaf Warbler
Phylloscopus emeiensis
峨眉柳莺
Introduction
A small passerine in family Phylloscopidae (formerly placed in Old World warbler assemblage). Breeds in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong, and Shaanxi provinces of China; vagrant in southeast Myanmar. Inhabits temperate deciduous broadleaved forest, sometimes with spruce (Picea or Abies), favoring mixed old secondary and replanted broadleaved forest at elevations of 1000-2200 m. Characterized by two prominent yellowish wing-bars and a crown with greyish-green coloration and pale median stripe. The song is a clear, slightly quivering trill at 4-6 kHz lasting 3-4 seconds. Rated as Least Concern by IUCN; population appears stable though total numbers are unknown.
Description
A small warbler measuring 11-12 cm (4.3-4.7 in) in length. The crown is greyish-green, slightly darker at the rear, with a pale median crown-stripe that is poorly marked anteriorly but broader and more distinct posteriorly. It has a prominent pale yellowish supercilium and a distinct dark eye-stripe; ear-coverts are paler with faint dark mottling. Upperparts are dull green. Wings and tail are greenish with distinct pale yellowish tips to median coverts and broad pale yellowish tips to greater coverts, forming two wing-bars. The outermost tail-feather has a whitish edge less than 0.5 mm on the inner web. The underside is whitish with faint pale yellowish streaking and more yellowish undertail-coverts. The iris is dark brown, upper mandible blackish, lower mandible pale orange; legs are pinkish-grey.
Identification
Very similar to the sympatric Claudia's leaf warbler but distinguished by having a less contrasting crown pattern with lighter lateral crown-stripes and a darker median crown-stripe. The song (a clear, slightly quivering trill at 4-6 kHz) differs markedly from both Claudia's and Kloss's leaf warblers. The call is a soft tu-du-du, tu-du, or tu-du-du-du, unlike the calls of sympatric species.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds locally in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong, and Shaanxi provinces in China. Appears on breeding grounds late April. One documented non-breeding record from southeast Myanmar. Inhabits temperate broadleaved deciduous forest, sometimes with spruce, at elevations of 1000-2200 m during breeding season; shows preference for mixed old secondary and replanted broadleaved forest with lower densities in primary forest.
Behavior & Ecology
Diet consists of insects, though no detailed studies exist. Breeding period begins mid-to-late April based on male singing activity, but no specific breeding data available. The song is a clear, slightly quivering straight trill at 4-6 kHz lasting 3-4 seconds; males display up to eight verse types. The call is a soft tu-du-du, tu-du, or tu-du-du-du.
Conservation
Rated as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Total population size is unknown and the species is not known to be numerous anywhere, but the population appears to be stable. Generation length is estimated at 3.6 years.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Phylloscopidae
- Genus
- Phylloscopus
- eBird Code
- emlwar1
Distribution
southwestern China (Mount Emei Shan in Sichuan)
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.