Common Jery Neomixis tenella Scientific name definitions

10 cm; 6–8 g. A small, rather nondescript forest warbler, superficially recalling a drab leaf-warber Phylloscopus, but with rather heavy bill . Nominate race has olive-green crown, contrasting yellowish supercilium, darker eyestripe and grey nape and cheeks; upperparts olive-green; flight-feathers darker with narrow pale yellowish margins; throat and upper breast pale yellow, merging into whitish belly, central breast often diffusely streaked olive-green; eyes pale brown; bill dark horn above, paler orange-horn below; legs pinkish-orange. Differs from congeners in having yellowish face and breast, greyish nape. Sexes alike. Juvenile has darker eye than adult. Race orientalis is darker than nominate, with greener upperparts, broader grey nape patch, greyer underparts, yellow on breast often reduced; decaryi has duller, grey-green upperparts, greenish-yellow breast often quite heavily streaked, olive wash on flanks; debilis is dullest, distinctly grey-green above and washed grey below , with duller yellow-green on throat and breast.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

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.

Diet mainly insects. Gleans foliage in canopy, constantly moving and often hanging upside-down. In scrubby vegetation, occurs low down, and even forages on ground occasionally. Frequently probes flowers (head sometimes becoming covered with pollen). Often in mixed-species flocks, including with congeners; during winter may form flocks of up to 20 individuals.

High-pitched “tsee-tsee-tsee”  call given almost continuously during foraging, sometimes followed by lower note, “tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tsirrup”. Male song similar, uttered from high perch. Also may give sunbird-like “dzhee”, possibly when alarmed.