IDENTIFICATION
http://www.birdguides.com/birdwatch Birdwatch•October 2017 43
Quiz bird
YOU are braving the winds on
the east coast, scanning through
a mobile feeding flock in a row of
autumn sycamores, when the
movement of a greenish bird
catches your eye. The adrenalin
starts pumping as you realise
that you may have found either a
scarcity or even a rarity.
You note the presence of wing-
bars and a supercilium, and the
bird is clearly one of the small
Phylloscopus warblers expected
at this time of year. It is also
green above and pale below, and
flitting from leaf to leaf in search
of hidden items of invertebrate
food – but which species is it?How to enter
Once you think you have
identified the species,
let us know at bit.ly/
bw304LeafWarblerQuiz, no
later than 13 October. The
answer will be online at http://www.
birdguides.com/competitions-
awards from 16 October. The
first randomly chosen reader
with the correct answer will win
a copy of Remarkable Birds by
Mark Avery. ■catches your eye. The adrenalin
starts pumping as you realise
that you may have found either a
scarcity or even a rarity.bars and a supercilium, and the
bird is clearly one of the small
Phylloscopus
at this time of year. It is also
green above and pale below, and
flitting from leaf to leaf in search
of hidden items of invertebrate
food – but which species is it?How to enter
Once you think you have
identified the species,
let us know at
bw304LeafWarblerQuiz
later than 13 October. The
answer will be online at
birdguides.com/competitions-
awards
first randomly chosen reader
with the correct answer will win
a copy of
Mark Avery.Quiz bird
?
YOU
the east coast, scanning through
a mobile feeding flock in a row of
autumn sycamores, when the
movement of a greenish bird
catches your eye. The adrenalinYOU
the east coast, scanning through
a mobile feeding flock in a row of
autumn sycamores, when the
movement of a greenish bird
catches your eye. The adrenalinwww.birdguide
s
.c
o
m. e
ENTER
ONLINE^
JAMES HANLON PETER AND MICHELLE WONG
15 Eastern Crowned Warbler (Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorkshire,
6 October 2016). This charming portrait shows the full set of Eastern
Crowned Warbler features: bright moss-green upperparts, plain
tertials, fine double wing-bars, greyish-olive crown with a pale central
stripe, strong face pattern but unmarked ear coverts and a rather
long, prominent bill.16 Pale-legged Leaf Warbler (Tai Po Kau, Hong Kong, 21
September 2016). Though reminiscent of Arctic Warbler on this
view, this Sakhalin/Pale-legged Leaf Warbler reveals its identity by
its slightly contrasting grey crown, dark-looking bill and ‘ghostly’
pale pink legs. Ground-feeding is a typical habit of this species pair.
In life, look out for the nervous demeanour and listen for the
distinctive high-pitched call.15 161710 p37-43 ID photo guide leaf warblers FIN.indd 43 15/09/2017 11:31:54