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PLATE 85: PHYLLOSCOPUS WARBLERS II
Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus V
L: 11. Small, dark brown Phylloscopus with distinct head pattern resembling brownish Common
Chiffchaff. Upperparts plain brown with rather distinct long, pale rufous-brown or whitish
supercilium, narrow and often palest in front of eye. Underparts off-white, tinged pale rufous-buff
on breast, flanks and undertail-coverts. Fine bill with largely yellowish lower mandible; thin legs
flesh-brown. From Siberian Chiffchaff by paler legs and bill. Often on ground. Voice Loud, hard,
abrupt chek or tack, recalling Lesser Whitethroat, often persistent. Habitat Low cover, grass or
scrub, often in moist or marshy localities. Note Vagrant Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen.
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus pm
L: 10. Very similar to Hume’s Leaf Warbler, generally brighter with greener upperparts, whiter
underparts, lacking buff suffusion; supercilium very long, pronounced and yellow-white, rather
evenly broad, usually two distinct yellow-white wing-bars contrasting with dark-centred greater
coverts, also stronger contrast in tertial pattern; base of bill obviously paler. Occasionally shows
faint paler crown-stripe. In worn plumage greyer with paler wing-bars, and tertial-fringes narrower
and whiter. Voice Thin song is high-pitched tsee tseoo-tseee, lacking buzzing quality of Hume’s; call
high-pitched lisping tsweest or weest with distinct upwards inflection, frequently almost disyllabic
wii-ist. Habitat Trees, bushes. Note Rare passage and winter as hatched; vagrant Iran, Qatar, UAE.
Hume’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei pm, wv
L: 10. Confusable with Yellow-browed Warbler; generally greyer, duller, less yellow-green with
different call and song. In fresh plumage, upperparts and crown greyish-olive with very long,
pronounced, buffish-white supercilium, often broadest over and in front of eye; two wing-bars,
lower one distinct, upper one short and ill-defined or absent; underparts dusky-white, tinged
buffish on ear-coverts, lower throat and sides of neck; bill dark (but pale base from directly below).
Occasionally shows faint paler crown-stripe. In winter/spring worn plumage becomes greyer, wing-
bars and tertial edges narrower, with upperwing-bar often lacking. Voice Calls sweet wesoo or
shorter dweed, both lacking upwards inflection; in winter more disyllabic, clean sooit. Song thin,
high-pitched, drawn-out, descending buzzing tzeeeee. Habitat Trees, bushes. Note Winter hatched,
but rare; vagrant Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia.
Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis V
L: 12. Rather large, dark greyish-green Phylloscopus with strong pale bill, striking head pattern
with distinct long narrow supercilium from just in front of eye to well behind dark-mottled ear-
coverts (sometimes kinked upwards at end), accentuated by distinct dark eye-stripe from base
of bill; short wing-bar (sometimes two visible in fresh plumage), plain tertials, dusky flanks and
pale brown legs. Confusable with smaller Greenish and Green Warblers in worn, greyer plumage;
distinguished from both by size, heavier build, head pattern, plumage tone and pale legs. Voice
Characteristic short dzik (or dzi-zik). Habitat Bushes, trees. Note Vagrant Oman, Saudi Arabia.
Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus pm, wv
L: 11. Similar to Greenish Warbler with round head (like Common Chiffchaff), broad supercilium
from base of pale bill to behind ear-coverts and short narrow wing-bar on greater coverts
(Chiffchaffs may show inconspicuous but rather long wing-bar). From Greenish Warbler by greener
upperparts, and sulphur-yellow throat, upper breast, supercilium and ear-coverts contrasting
with rather dark eye-stripe. In worn plumage more greyish, almost lacking yellow tone, and wing-
bar may be lost; then very difficult to tell from Greenish Warbler, but from most other Phylloscopus
by striking head pattern, pale bill and voice. Voice Song loud and variable, ending abruptly, che-wee
che-wee chui chi-di chi-dit. Call is White Wagtail-like che-wee, similar to Greenish Warbler. Habitat
Bushes, trees. Note Passage hatched, but rare; vagrant Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE.
Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides V
L: 11. Resembles a cold, greyish Willow Warbler, with yellowish mostly restricted to long, broad
supercilia, which usually meet over bill base (unlike Arctic Warbler) and may create capped, ‘kind-
faced’ appearance. Also note dull greyish-white underparts and ear-coverts, contrasting with
distinct dark eye and eye-stripe; plain tertials, short wing-bar (sometimes two in fresh plumage, or
worn off in summer), pale bill and dark brownish legs. From Willow Warbler and Common Chiffchaff
by greyish-white underparts and cheeks, stronger head markings, short pale wing-bar (if present)
and yellow lower mandible (especially from Common Chiffchaff). Voice Call similar to Green
Warbler, chi-wee, or shorter chi it. Habitat Bushes, trees. Note Vagrant Oman.