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Chinese Leaf Warbler in Shing Mun

Chinese Leaf Warbler in Shing Mun

If the record committee accepts it, it would be the second or third record for Hong Kong. However, I think that it is impossible to accept sighted record of Phylloscopus warbler based only on the description without any photos.

The following report and description of the Chinese Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus sichuanensis will be sent to the record committee for their reference.

Head – the bird has whitish supercilium and is different from bright yellow supercilium of Pallas's Leaf Warbler. A very thin whitish median crown stripe is indistinct on the forehead and more obvious behind the forehead.  The ear coverts is much more in pale and no obvious pattern on it. For the bill, the lower mandible is pale contrasted with the dark upper mandible.  

Mantle – dull greenish mantle with a small patch of whitish rump and is different from Pallas's Leaf Warbler.  Tail and upper tail covert is similar to the mantle.

Underpart – greyish to whitish from throat to lower belly and whitish on the under tail covert.

Wing covert – wing-bar was seen on the wing, an obvious thin yellowish wing-bar (the tip of greater coverts) and an indistinct and short yellowish wing-bar on median coverts. The outer web of median and greater coverts is green but not dull green. The outer web of primaries and secondaries is green as wing coverts

Voice – no sound was heard during observation.

Habit - The bird was seen in a bird flock and mainly hunted insects on the treetop in open area. The composition of bird flock included Pallas's Leaf Warbler (up to fifteen individuals), Blyth's Leaf Warbler, Japanese White-eye, Chestnut-flanked White-eye, Rufous-capped Babbler and Grey-headed Flycatcher.

Location detail: the bird was seen in a bird flock around a bridge on the main road (north of Shing Mun reservoir, near the Lead Mine Pass junction)

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THIS OR SIMILAR SPECIES:  
in Yunnan and Sichuan province, China (June and July2007)
Chinese Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus sichuanensis
Lemon-rumped Warbler Phylloscopus chloronotus
Gansu Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus kansuensis
Emei Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus emeiensis

Reference
Carey,G.J., Chalmers, M.L., Diskin, D.A., Kennerley, P.R., Leader, P.J., Lewthwaite, R.W., Leven, M.R., Melville, D.S., Turnbull,M. and Young,L. 2001. The Avifauna of Hong Kong. Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Hong Kong

Leven, M.R. 1999. Chinese Leaf Warbler: The first record for Hong Kong. Hong Kong Bird Report 1997:120-127.

MacKinnon,J. and Phillipps K.2000. A Field Guide to the Birds of China. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Robson, C. 2000. A Field Guide to the Birds of South-east Asia. New Holland, London.

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