Well I've spend quite a lot fo time today comparing the bird from Kadorie Farm with the pictures of a bird I've made in center Guangxi this summer from a population that I have safely ID by comparing their song and call with available published one, as well as looking on the available picture on the net of Emei Leaf Warbler and Godson's Leaf Warbler (fokiensis).
Rather difficult to ID this Guangxi birds at subspecies level, since I'm lacking information about how to separate disturbans breeding in Yunnan from ogilviegranti breeding presumably in Guangdong, and haven't been abble to find any information mentionning one or the other breeding in Guangxi. Anyway both belong to Ogilviegranti or Kloss's Leaf Warbler (same sp but I prefer the first name) recently split from White-tailed Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus davisoni.
I summaryse below what I think are good feature to ID Ogilviegranti LW or feature that have to be noted to eliminate other species. I'm happy to be corrected and to read comments from others. BTW THOMAS, I suggest you that you submit your sighting to the Record Commitee.
- coronal stripe :
1/ ending well beyond the bill (leaving a large area of olive green on the forehead)
2/ more accentuated at the rear crown (being more pale yellow at the rear crown and becomes more pale green where it reach the forehead), to ending blurry
-dark bands on each side of the coronal stripe
1/ much darker on rear crown and degrading into olive green as reaching the forehead, color near the forehead of similar color than mantle
2/ the blackish dark band on the rear crown is of similar color on its entire width, contrasting obviously with the olive green on forehead
- eyestripe : very dark and contrasting well with the ear covert. Very broad beyond the eye, very thin in front of.
- eyering : very pronounced and broad lower half eyering, always pale yellow. To me it isn't so broad on other Claudia LW, Emei LW or Godson LW.
- Super: quite broad, pale yellowish with a greenish nuance (from very close view) above the eye, more pale on rear and blurry pale grey near the bill (more accentuated color difference with the part of the super above eye comparing with rear and front part than in other species)
- ear coverts : grey greenish contrasting with paler of-white throat, and descending on neck side.
- underparts : uniform of-white to pale grey, with trace of yellow on undertail coverts
- mantle : quite dark green, and less contrasting color with the primaries than in other species ( other species show always more vivid primaries compare to mantle)
- wing bar : of similar color than super (pale yellowish)
- feet : I think there is clearly something with feet color, being quite pinkish grey, where I found Claudia's LW a bit more yellowish, this is more obvious on toes.
- structure : I found Ogilviegranti LW, quite tiny not so heavy build as Claudia's LW or Godson's LW , but with very strong leg, shorter and thicker bill.
To me the bird from Kadoorie Farm show a lot of this features, it is a bit darker grey on underparts than my expectations, but this maybe due to light conditions and of importance, it is very uniform on underpart where Claudia's LW and Emei LW show some contrast between breast and belly.
Pictures of Ogilviegranti LW from Guangxi can be seen here :
http://www.tragopan-asie.com/en/ ... egranti-presumably/
Pictures of Claudia's Leaf Warbler can be seen here :
http://www.tragopan-asie.com/en/ ... lloscopus-claudiae/
Emei Leaf Warbler here :
http://orientalbirdimages.org/se ... _ID=&pagesize=1
The only picture of Godson LW fokiensis I refer too ( from breeding ground) : is this one :
http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=2916 and this one :
http://worldbirds.eu/abch/harterts_leafwarbler.htm
And one precision, I haven't drink too much yesterday night:-)
All the best,
Jonathan
