Green-crowned Warbler Phylloscopus burkii Scientific name definitions

11–12 cm; one bird 7·3 g. A medium-sized warbler with wide-based bill and strong rictal bristles. Has green median crownstripe , usually with sparse thin pale greyish streaks, black lateral crownstripe (usually distinct on forehead, almost to bill), green side of crown (below lateral crownstripe), ear-coverts and lores, lores indistinctly yellow-suffused; distinct yellow eyering thinly broken at rear, and sometimes diffuse anteriorly above eye; upperparts green; upperwing and tail brown-grey with green feather edges, usually lacking pale bar over tips of greater upperwing-coverts, or this can be faint, but sometimes distinct; prominent white wedges on inner webs of outermost rectrix (27–39 mm) and penultimate rectrix (13·5–34 mm), rarely a thin irregular pale pattern along shaft on third outermost rectrix; bright yellow below, pale greenish suffusion on breast side and, often, flanks; iris dark brown; upper mandible blackish, lower mandible pale orange; legs pale greyish-pink. Distinguished from P. whistleri by proportionately shorter tail and larger bill, marginally blacker lateral crownstripes more sharply defined on forecrown/forehead, thinly broken eyering at rear, less often distinct pale tips on greater coverts, on average brighter green upperparts and brighter and more saturated yellow underparts, also lack of prominent white wedge on third outermost rectrix. Sexes similar in plumage, female on average smaller than male. Juvenile undescribed.

Himalayas from N India (Himachal Pradesh) E to SE Tibet; non-breeding E India and SW Bangladesh.

Breeds in upper part of tropical, mostly evergreen, broadleaf forest zone, and in warm temperate zone with mainly deciduous broadleaf forest; in lush undergrowth in mature forest, and in secondary growth of rather low to moderate height (bushes and low trees) in relatively recently cleared areas. Has been recorded as breeding at c. 2085–2600 m in W part of range (Uttaranchal), and at c. 1700–2050 m in C part (West Bengal), but probably breeds also at lower elevations, at least in W; almost completely segregated altitudinally from sympatric P. whistleri.

Migratory. Post-breeding movement to lowlands of EC India (Madhya Pradesh E to West Bengal, S to Eastern Ghats in NE Andhra Pradesh) and SW Bangladesh; migration periods poorly known.

Known to eat insects, but no studies undertaken. Feeds mainly in understorey ; catching of prey often involves short flights.

Song consists of short (c. 0·6–1 second) abrupt strophes of varied whistled notes either in irregular order or, more often, arranged in phrases (element groups) of 2–4 notes, each phrase given 2(-4) times (last one often incomplete at end), some strophes ending in rapid single-element or multi-element trills of varying length, the strophes separated by pauses usually several seconds long; e.g. “chip-chip-tse-tsitsitsitsi… pi-tsi-pi-tsi-pi-tsi… pe-tis-pe-tis-pe-tis… chu-chu-chu-chu-chu… vi-tsu-vi-tsu-vi-tsu… vi-tsu-vi-tsu-vi-tsu… huit-didididididididididi… tui-tui-tsi-tsi…”; easily told from that of P. whistleri by presence of trills. Calls with a soft, whipping “huit”, somewhat reminiscent of a high-pitched Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) call, less commonly doubled; easily told from calls of congeners.

No certain information, as a result of previous confusion between this species and P. whistleri. On basis of male singing activity, season probably begins in Apr.

Not globally threatened. Locally common to abundant; scarce in some parts of range. No population estimates.