Black-faced Warbler Abroscopus schisticeps Scientific name definitions

10 cm; 6 g. Small, rather slim warbler with distinctive head pattern . Nominate race has crown, nape and side of neck grey, bold yellow supercilia almost meeting on forehead, black lores and ear-coverts; upperparts olive-green, brightest on rump; wings brownish with yellowish-olive feather edges and fringes; tail brownish with yellowish-olive feather edges, white inner webs of outermost two feathers; throat bright yellow, underparts whitish, washed with yellowish-olive on breast, flanks and undertail-coverts; underwing-coverts pale yellow; iris reddish-brown to dark brown; dull pinkish lower mandible and cutting edges of upper mandible, remainder of upper mandible medium brown; legs rather pale, dull pinkish-brown or greyish-brown. Differs from similar Yellow-bellied Fairy-fantail (Chelidorhynx hypoxanthus) mainly in having smaller tail without prominent white terminal spots, less uniformly yellow underparts. Sexes similar. Juvenile is duller than adult, with grey of head washed olive, supercilium duller and paler, paler yellow on throat and underparts. Races differ mainly in throat colour and intensity of yellow tones in plumage: <em>flavimentalis</em> has dullest yellow and most extensive whitish on underparts; ripponi has dusky centre of yellow throat, extensive grey breastband.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Song thin and ethereal, a high-pitched tinkling “tirririr-tsii tirririr-tsii tirririr-tsii” or “tit sirriri-sirriri sirriri tit-sirriri” and so on; subdued “tit” seems to be a contact note given when foraging.

Not globally threatened. Fairly common to uncommon. Frequently encountered in C & E parts of Nepal W to Kali-Gandaki Valley; farther W there are few reports, but has been found just over the border in N India, at Nainital (extreme E Uttaranchal Pradesh). Farther E in N India, it is not uncommon in Sikkim area, and in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur it seems to be not uncommon in hills with reasonable tracts of forest remaining. Widely recorded through C Bhutan. In Myanmar, frequent in forests of Chin Hills in W and similarly in N hills. Fairly common in NW Vietnam. More rarely encountered in China, where said to be rare, but reported from extreme S & W Yunnan, S Sichuan and S Tibet; possibly extends into SE Tibet.