Family Leaf-warblers (Phylloscopidae)

Least Concern

Grey-cheeked Warbler (Phylloscopus poliogenys)

Taxonomy

French: Pouillot à joues grises German: Grauwangen-Laubsänger Spanish: Mosquitero carigrís

Taxonomy:

C[ulicipeta]. poliogenys

Blyth

, 1847,

Darjeeling, India

Previously placed in Seicercus; see Phylloscopidae. Closely related to P. intermedius. MtDNA indicates that Himalayan populations may be specifically distinct from Yunnan (China) and S Vietnam populations (latter two are also well differentiated); further research required. Monotypic.

Distribution:

E Himalayas from C Nepal E to NE India (E Arunachal Pradesh) and neighbouring parts of N Myanmar and S China (S Yunnan); also Nagaland S to Mizoram and Meghalaya (NE India), and N Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Descriptive notes

c. 10–11 cm; one bird 6·3 g. Has crown, nape, ear-coverts and lateral margin of throat dull grey, lores dull grey with some whitish admixed; lateral crownstripe dark... read more

Voice

Song consists of short (c. 0·8–1·7 seconds) strophes of varied whistled notes usually... read more

Habitat

Breeds in lush undergrowth in upper part of warm temperate broadleaf forest zone; in Himalayas at... read more

Food and feeding

Insects known to be taken, but no detailed studies of diet. Forages primarily in understorey.

Breeding

Little studied. Season Apr–Jun in Himalayas and at least Apr and May in Vietnam. Nest a ball of moss and grass (grass can be missing... read more

Movements

Altitudinal migrant, descending to foothills and edges of plains in non-breeding season.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Locally common; no population estimates available.

Bibliography

Public comments

Scientific classification

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Phylloscopidae

— Show family text —

Formerly included in a broad Sylviidae. Recent review#R indicates that previous internal arrangement, with all taxa of present family split between Seicercus and Phylloscopus, was paraphyletic. As a result some authors have split Phylloscopus into several smaller genera, with some movement of taxa from Phylloscopus to Seicercus, but accuracy of this debatable on present knowledge. One of these versions#R involves groups containing species as listed below: Rhadina (species 1–3); Abrornis (species 4–13); Phylloscopus (species 14–28); and Seicercus (species 29–78). Another version#R divides family into nine genera. More cautious alternative involves merging Seicercus into Phylloscopus; adopted herein, pending results of a comprehensive study currently in progress#R.