Gray-sided Bush Warbler Cettia brunnifrons Scientific name definitions

10–11 cm; male 8–9 g, female 6–9 g. Small, slender-looking bush-warbler with small bill, long pale supercilium well defined in front of eye. Nominate race has whitish or whitish-buff supercilium continuing to side of nape, long blackish eyestripe, pale grey-brown cheek and ear-coverts; warm chestnut crown, plain brown upperparts, wings warmer brown than back; chin and throat whitish, becoming pale greyish on breast side and flanks, with rear flanks and undertail-coverts brownish-olive; iris dark; upper mandible dark horn, lower mandible pale yellowish to bright yellow, tip sometimes dark; legs pale brown to pinkish-grey, variable, sometimes a little darker and slightly purplish. Differs from C. major in smaller size, slender appearance, smaller bill, well-defined whitish (not rufous-buff) supercilium in front of eye, greyer (less white) underparts. Sexes alike. Juvenile has uniform rufous-brown upperparts, lacks chestnut crown, has supercilium buffish-brown, underparts drab brownish-olive, yellowish-olive on belly. Race whistleri has paler chestnut on head, upperparts and flight-feathers edges and paler undertail-coverts than nominate; <em>umbratica</em> is darker chestnut or rufous-brown on upperparts than nominate.

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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.

Altitudinal migrant; post-breeding descent to lower elevations. Recently recorded in NE Bangladesh in winter (Feb 2012) (1 Round, P.D., Ul Haque, E., Dymond, N., Pierce, A.J. and Thompson, P.M. (2014). Ringing and ornithological exploration in north-east Bangladesh wetlands. Forktail. 30: 109–121. Close ).

Song , from top of bush or rock, mid-Apr to early Aug and again in Sept–Oct, a loud, wheezing and repetitive “ti si’si’si’sizu” or slightly prolonged “tseep-tseep-tweecha-tweep”, frequently accompanied at start and end by nasal buzzing “bzeeuu” notes. Call a bunting-like “pseek”, and high-pitched, metallic “tiss”, “tizz” or “tiss-wi” alarm.