Island Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus poliocephalus Scientific name definitions

10–11 cm; 7–11·5 g. A small to medium-sized, olive-green leaf-warbler. Nominate subspecies has blackish-olive crown, long whitish supercilium, blackish lores and eyestripe; upperparts mostly olive-green, yellow tips of greater wing-coverts (forming distinct wingbar); flight-feathers and tail browner with slightly paler edges; cheeks, ear-coverts, chin and throat whitish, underparts pale yellowish, yellowest on flanks and belly; iris dark brown; maxilla dark horn, with mandible brownish; legs plumbeous or dark gray. Sexes alike. Juvenile (of nominate subspecies) evidently undescribed, but this plumage in ceramensis and everetti is said to have an olive-green crown with indistinct median crownstripe, and yellowish throat.

Until recently considered conspecific with P. maforensis and P. misoriensis. Subspecies makirensis was treated as a species in HBW and elsewhere (1 Dickinson, E. C., and L. Christidis, Editors (2014). The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Fourth Edition. Volume 2. Aves Press, Eastbourne, UK. Close ), without clear justification. Evidence is accumulating that multiple species are represented within the present arrangement: subspecies henrietta and waterstradti sing in short repeated phrases, while ceramensis and avicola sing with longer slurred notes and everetti looks and sounds very different (2 Rheindt, F. E., and R. O. Hutchinson (2007). A photoshot odyssey through the confused avian taxonomy of Seram and Buru (Southern Moluccas). BirdingASIA 7:18–38. Close ); becki, bougainvillei, giulianettii and to a lesser extent nominate poliocephalus are characterized by a rapid, nervous delivery of short, spiky notes (3 Boesman, P. (2016). Notes on the vocalizations of Island Leaf-warbler (Phylloscopus poliocephalus). HBW Alive Ornithological Note 424. In: Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Close ). Birds discovered on Taliabu (Sula Is) in Sept 1991 may represent a hitherto undescribed taxon. Comprehensive review involving molecular, acoustic and morphological evidence is needed. Eighteen subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies henrietta differs from nominate in having grayer and less brownish-olive crown, whiter supercilium; everetti differs from nominate in gray-brown crown, faint pale gray supercilium, pale or whitish edges on inner webs of outer tail feathers, throat to upper breast white, rest of underparts sulphur-yellow except greenish flanks; waterstradti differs from previous in having paler gray crown, greener upperparts; ceramensis has dark gray crown with olive median stripe, faint yellow tips on median and greater wing-coverts, also whitish chin and throat, and bright yellow underparts except olive flanks; avicola (known only from type specimen) is like last but has darker crown with dull yellow central stripe, brownish-olive upperparts, pale yellow supercilium, pale yellowish underparts streaked darker; cyclopum has brighter yellowish-green upperparts and yellowish central crownstripe; albigularis is like last but crownstripe paler, and has chin, throat and head-sides whitish; giulianettii has darker olive upperparts and flanks than previous two; paniaiae is very similar to last but has brighter, more golden-brown upperparts, yellow-tinged gray throat; matthiae has crown, sides of head and supercilium pale gray, back and scapulars brownish green, bill slightly larger than nominate; leletensis is very like previous, but has dark gray crown; moorhousei has crown dark brown, upperparts paler, more fawn-brown, underparts brownish yellow; hamlini has darker crown-sides, yellow median crownstripe and supercilium, greenish yellow below except whitish chin; becki has uniform brown upperparts, narrow wingbar, chin and throat whitish, becoming yellow on breast, belly and flanks; bougainvillei differs from previous in having upperparts grayish olive except darker brownish-olive crown and green edges of primaries, paler yellowish underparts, gray-brown flanks, and reduced amounts of white on tips of tail; pallescens is like last, but has almost white underparts and less intensely black crown.

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EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Island Leaf Warbler (Peleng) Phylloscopus poliocephalus suaramerdu Scientific name definitions

• eBird map
• 3 photos
• 2 recordings

Distribution

Peleng (Banggai Islands)

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EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Island Leaf Warbler (Taliabu) Phylloscopus poliocephalus emilsalimi Scientific name definitions

• eBird map
• 0 photos
• 1 recordings

Distribution

Taliabu (Sula Islands)

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EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Island Leaf Warbler (Halmahera) Phylloscopus poliocephalus henrietta Scientific name definitions

• eBird map
• 16 photos
• 5 recordings

Distribution

N Moluccas (Morotai, Halmahera, Ternate).

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EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Island Leaf Warbler (Bacan) Phylloscopus poliocephalus waterstradti Scientific name definitions

• eBird map
• 3 photos
• 2 recordings

Distribution

N Moluccas (Bacan, Obi).

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EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Island Leaf Warbler (Buru) Phylloscopus poliocephalus everetti Scientific name definitions

• eBird map
• 5 photos
• 0 recordings

Distribution

S Moluccas (Buru, above 700andnbsp;m).

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EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Island Leaf Warbler (Seram) Phylloscopus poliocephalus ceramensis Scientific name definitions

• eBird map
• 30 photos
• 11 recordings

Distribution

S Moluccas (Seram, Ambon).

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EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Island Leaf Warbler (Kai) Phylloscopus poliocephalus avicola Scientific name definitions

• eBird map
• 6 photos
• 1 recordings

Distribution

Kai Is (Kai Besar).

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EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Island Leaf Warbler (New Guinea) Phylloscopus poliocephalus [poliocephalus Group]

Available illustrations of subspecies in this group

• eBird map
• 20 photos
• 7 recordings

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus poliocephalus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

NW New Guinea (Tamrau Mts, Arfak Mts, Wandammen Mts).

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus albigularis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

WC New Guinea (Weyland Mts).

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus paniaiae Scientific name definitions

Distribution

WC New Guinea (Wissel Lakes region).

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus cyclopum Scientific name definitions

Distribution

N New Guinea (Cyclops Mts).

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus giulianettii Scientific name definitions

Distribution

C and SE New Guinea (E from Snow Mts).

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus hamlini Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Goodenough I, in D’Entrecasteaux Archipelago (off SE New Guinea).

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EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Island Leaf Warbler (South Pacific) Phylloscopus poliocephalus [matthiae Group]

Available illustrations of subspecies in this group

• eBird map
• 0 photos
• 0 recordings

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus matthiae Scientific name definitions

Distribution

St Matthias Group (Mussau I), in Bismarck Archipelago.

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus moorhousei Scientific name definitions

Distribution

New Britain and Umboi, in Bismarck Archipelago.

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus leletensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

New Ireland, in Bismarck Archipelago.

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus becki Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E Solomon Is (Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal, Malaita).

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus bougainvillei Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Bougainville I.

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SUBSPECIES

Phylloscopus poliocephalus pallescens Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Kolombangara I, in W Solomon Is.

Undetermined race in Sula Is (4 Davidson, P.J., Lucking, R.S., Stones, A.J., Bean, N.J., Raharjaningtrah, W. and Banjaransari, H. (1991). Report on an ornithological survey of Taliabu, Indonesia. Unpublished report to BirdLife International. Close ) (off E Sulawesi).

Across large parts of range almost entirely confined to montane primary and secondary forests (including selectively logged areas) and scrub above 750 m, except race matthiae, which also occurs in lowlands. On New Guinea mostly above 1400 m (to 2400 m), but non-breeders frequently wander to lower levels (down to 640 m); in Melanesia, for example, on New Ireland above 840 m, on New Britain above 1100 m, above 700 m on Bougainville, and above 500 m on Makira. Further west, in Indonesia, on Taliabu above 450 m (to at least 1100 m), on Peleng above 700 m, on Seram above 300 m, on Buru above 800 m, and on Kai Is and Obi above 350 m (to 1550 m on latter).

Resident; may wander to lower levels in non-breeding season.

Main Foods Taken

Food mostly small insects and their larvae.

Food Capture and Consumption

Forages alone and in pairs, and commonly in mixed-species flocks. Unobtrusive; frequents middle levels and canopy of small trees, taking insects from among the foliage.

Vocal Array

Song variable, in NE New Guinea described as an energetic high-pitched “du-du-dee-dee-du-dee-dee-dee”, also as high-pitched warble in two rising phrases (nominate race); long drawn-out descending series of mournful single whistled notes (giulianettii); in the case of nominate race, song often given by several birds at same time. In Melanesia, song described as a weak, high-pitched rapid series of 3–10 notes, repeated up to six times. In Indonesia, song on Kai Is (avicola) is a medium-pitched, short, usually ascending series, e.g. “tsootsweesootweesweey”; on Seram (ceramensis) a highly repetitive, ascending “t’t’t’tsee’tsee’tsee’see’see’seey...” or a level “chewit’chewit’chewit...”, both versions often with introductory notes, lasting 1–2 seconds and repeated every 2–8 seconds; on Buru (everetti) a long, high-pitched, drawn-out, structureless, ascending “tsoo’we’tsoo’wee’see’weee’see’wee...” lasting 1·3–3 seconds and repeated every 2–8 seconds; in N Moluccas (henrietta) a warble that is alternately high- then low-pitched, rapid and repetitive, e.g. “chit’chit’chit...”, at rate of 4–6 notes/second, followed by an even faster “si’si’si...” at 6–8 notes/second and lasting less than one second, whereas song of race waterstradti (on Bacan and Obi) averages less repetitive, more warbling and even faster, with shorter gaps between motifs; on Taliabu (Sula Is) song is extremely varied, including a mixed series of 3–6 repetitive “tooit” notes lasting 1–2 seconds and an ascending jumble of high-pitched notes lasting 2–3 seconds, e.g. “sooit’titit’seeit’si’eeoo...”. Call in New Guinea a thin or high-pitched “sisseeeweee” or “sisseee-birredge” frequently repeated, but also a nasal “pwit” or “dzip” in Melanesia, including a thin, wheezy “seep-seep” on Kolombangara (pallescens), a thin descending “chewit-chewit” (N Moluccas, henrietta), a quiet “tzip” or “sip” on Buru, a thin downslurred “tcheweeoot” on Seram, and a descending “wir’chew’ee” on Kai Is.

Very poorly known. Nest with eggs (race giulianettii) in Apr and in Nov. Dependent young in Dec (subspecies avicola).

Nest placed on ground on sloping bank in open glade.

Nest a ball consisting mostly of coarse grasses and moss.

Clutch two eggs.

No information.

No information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Locally moderately common or common, but scarce at extremes of range in New Guinea. Subspecies paniaiae is rare in W New Guinea; avicola (Kai Is) known only from type specimen. No recent records of subspecies becki on Isabel and Malaita. Common on Taliabu, but taxonomic status of population there requires investigation.