Leaf warbler
| Leaf warblers | |
|---|---|
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| Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Superfamily: | Aegithaloidea |
| Family: | Phylloscopidae Alström, Ericson, Olsson, & Sundberg, 2006 |
| Genus: | Phylloscopus F. Boie, 1826 |
| Type species | |
| Sylvia trochilus[1] = Motacilla trochilus Latham, 1790 | |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
Leaf warblers are small insectivorous passerine birds belonging to the genus Phylloscopus.
Leaf warblers were formerly included in the Old World warbler family but are now considered to belong to the family Phylloscopidae, introduced in 2006. The family originally included the genus Seicercus, but all species have been moved to Phylloscopus in the most recent classification. Leaf warblers are active, constantly moving, often flicking their wings as they glean the foliage for insects along the branches of trees and bushes. They forage at various levels within forests, from the top canopy to the understorey. Most of the species are markedly territorial both in their summer and winter quarters. Most are greenish or brownish above and off-white or yellowish below. Compared to some other "warblers", their songs are very simple. Species breeding in temperate regions are usually strongly migratory.
Description
[edit]The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colours, varying little or not at all with the seasons. The tails are not very long and contain 12 feathers (unlike the similar Abroscopus species, which have 10 tail feathers). Many species are more easily identified by their distinctive songs than their dull plumage.[2] These are very small passerines with adult body masses that can vary from 3.5 to 17 g (0.12 to 0.60 oz) and in some cases, such as the Chinese leaf warbler, are among the lightest passerines anywhere. Several of the larger species are similar in size including the large-billed leaf warbler, Radde's warbler and the pale-legged leaf warbler.[3] Total length can vary from 9 to 14.5 cm (3.5 to 5.7 in).[4]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Its members occur in Eurasia, ranging into Wallacea and Africa with one species, the Arctic warbler, breeding as far east as Alaska. Many of the species breed at temperate and high latitudes in Eurasia and migrate substantial distances to winter in southeastern Asia, India, or Africa. One example is Tickell's leaf warbler, which breeds in scrub at high elevation in the Himalayas and on the Tibetan Plateau and then moves down-slope and south to winter in the Himalayan foothills of India and Burma.[5] Most live in forest and scrub and many are canopy or sub-canopy dwellers.
Behavior and ecology
[edit]The family Phylloscopidae comprises many small tree-loving warbler species that feed by gleaning insects from leaves or catching food on the wing.[5]
Taxonomy
[edit]The genus Phylloscopus was introduced by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1826 to accommodate a single species, the willow warbler, which is therefore considered as the type species.[6][7] The name combines the Ancient Greek phullon meaning "leaf" and skopos meaning "seeker" (from skopeo, "to watch").[8] Phylloscopus is the only genus placed in the family Phylloscopidae. The family was introduced in 2006 by the Swedish ornithologist Per Alström and coworkers.[9]
The following cladogram showing the family relationships is based on a study by Carl Oliveros and colleagues published in 2019.[10] The number of species is taken from the Avilist taxonomy.[11]
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The genus contains 80 species.[11] Of these, eleven were formerly placed in the genus Seicercus, but when a 2018 molecular phylogeny study found that Seicercus was embedded in Phylloscopus, the two genera were merged leaving the family Phylloscopidae with a single genus, Phylloscopus.[12]
| Image | Common name | Scientific name |
|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Wood warbler | Phylloscopus sibilatrix |
 | Western Bonelli's warbler | Phylloscopus bonelli |
 | Eastern Bonelli's warbler | Phylloscopus orientalis |
.jpg) | Buff-barred warbler | Phylloscopus pulcher |
.jpg) | Ashy-throated warbler | Phylloscopus maculipennis |
 | Hume's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus humei |
,_Parc_du_Slot,_Woluw%C3%A9-St.-Lambert,_Brussels_(34053989676).jpg) | Yellow-browed warbler | Phylloscopus inornatus |
 | Brooks's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus subviridis |
 | Chinese leaf warbler | Phylloscopus yunnanensis |
 | Lemon-rumped warbler | Phylloscopus chloronotus |
 | Sichuan leaf warbler | Phylloscopus forresti |
.jpg) | Gansu leaf warbler | Phylloscopus kansuensis |
 | Pallas's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus proregulus |
 | Tytler's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus tytleri |
 | Yellow-streaked warbler | Phylloscopus armandii |
_(2).jpg) | Radde's warbler | Phylloscopus schwarzi |
at_Sindhrot_near_Vadodara,_Gujrat_Pix_175.jpg) | Sulphur-bellied warbler | Phylloscopus griseolus |
 | Tickell's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus affinis (includes the alpine leaf warbler, P. a. occisinensis) |
 | Smoky warbler | Phylloscopus fuligiventer |
,_Phylloscopus_fuscatus_%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE_%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%B0,_%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%80,_%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B6%E0%A5%A4.jpg) | Dusky warbler | Phylloscopus fuscatus |
.JPG) | Plain leaf warbler | Phylloscopus neglectus |
 | Buff-throated warbler | Phylloscopus subaffinis |
 | Willow warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus |
 | Mountain chiffchaff | Phylloscopus sindianus |
_(6882993971).jpg) |
Phylloscopus canariensis
| |
 | Common chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita |
 | Iberian chiffchaff | Phylloscopus ibericus |
 | Eastern crowned warbler | Phylloscopus coronatus |
 | Ijima's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus ijimae |
| Tokara leaf warbler | Phylloscopus tokaraensis | |
 | Philippine leaf warbler | Phylloscopus olivaceus |
 | Lemon-throated leaf warbler | Phylloscopus cebuensis |
.jpg) | Yellow-throated woodland warbler | Phylloscopus ruficapilla |
 | Brown woodland warbler | Phylloscopus umbrovirens |
 | Red-faced woodland warbler | Phylloscopus laetus |
 | Laura's woodland warbler | Phylloscopus laurae |
 | Black-capped woodland warbler | Phylloscopus herberti |
 | Uganda woodland warbler | Phylloscopus budongoensis |
 | White-spectacled warbler | Phylloscopus intermedius – (previously Seicercus affinis) |
.jpg) | Grey-cheeked warbler | Phylloscopus poliogenys – (previously placed in Seicercus) |
 | Green-crowned warbler | Phylloscopus burkii – (previously placed in Seicercus) |
 | Grey-crowned warbler | Phylloscopus tephrocephalus – (previously placed in Seicercus) |
 | Whistler's warbler | Phylloscopus whistleri – (previously placed in Seicercus) |
 | Bianchi's warbler | Phylloscopus valentini – (previously placed in Seicercus) |
 | Alström's warbler | Phylloscopus soror – (first described in 1999; previously placed in Seicercus) |
 | Martens's warbler | Phylloscopus omeiensis – (first described in 1999; previously placed in Seicercus) |
 | Green warbler | Phylloscopus nitidus |
.jpg) | Two-barred warbler | Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus |
 | Greenish warbler | Phylloscopus trochiloides |
 | Emei leaf warbler | Phylloscopus emeiensis |
.jpg) | Large-billed leaf warbler | Phylloscopus magnirostris |
 | Sakhalin leaf warbler | Phylloscopus borealoides |
.jpg) | Pale-legged leaf warbler | Phylloscopus tenellipes |
 | Japanese leaf warbler | Phylloscopus xanthodryas |
 | Kamchatka leaf warbler | Phylloscopus examinandus |
 | Arctic warbler | Phylloscopus borealis |
 | Chestnut-crowned warbler | Phylloscopus castaniceps – (previously placed in Seicercus) |
 | Sunda warbler | Phylloscopus grammiceps – (previously placed in Seicercus) |
 | Yellow-breasted warbler | Phylloscopus montis – (previously placed in Seicercus) |
 | Limestone leaf warbler | Phylloscopus calciatilis – (first described in 2010) |
 | Sulphur-breasted warbler | Phylloscopus ricketti |
 | Yellow-vented warbler | Phylloscopus cantator |
 | Western crowned warbler | Phylloscopus occipitalis |
 | Blyth's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus reguloides |
 | Claudia's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus claudiae |
 | Hartert's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus goodsoni |
 | Kloss's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus ogilviegranti – (formerly a subspecies of Davison's leaf warbler) |
 | Hainan leaf warbler | Phylloscopus hainanus |
 | Davison's leaf warbler | Phylloscopus intensior – (previously white-tailed leaf warbler, Phylloscopus davisoni) |
_(cropped).jpg) | Grey-hooded warbler | Phylloscopus xanthoschistos |
 | Mountain leaf warbler | Phylloscopus trivirgatus |
 | Negros leaf warbler | Phylloscopus nigrorum |
 | Timor leaf warbler | Phylloscopus presbytes – (includes Flores leaf warbler as a subspecies) |
 | Rote leaf warbler | Phylloscopus rotiensis (first described in 2018)[13] |
| Makira leaf warbler | Phylloscopus makirensis | |
 | Sulawesi leaf warbler | Phylloscopus nesophilus – (formerly a subspecies of Lompobattang leaf warbler)[14] |
 | Lompobattang leaf warbler | Phylloscopus sarasinorum[14] |
| Kolombangara leaf warbler | Phylloscopus amoenus | |
 | Island leaf warbler | Phylloscopus poliocephalus (includes Peleng and Taliabu leaf warblers that were first described in 2020) |
_-_Sylviidae_-_bird_skin_specimen.jpeg) | Numfor leaf warbler | Phylloscopus maforensis |
 | Biak leaf warbler | Phylloscopus misoriensis |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Phylloscopidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
- ↑ Baker, Kevin (2010-06-30). Warblers of Europe, Asia and North Africa. A&C Black. p. 17. ISBN 9781408131701.
- ↑ Dunning, John B. Jr., ed. (2008). CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses (2nd ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4200-6444-5.
- ↑ Winkler, D. W., S. M. Billerman, and I.J. Lovette (2020). Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopidae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- 1 2 "Lead-Warblers Phylloscopidae". creagrus.home.montereybay.com. 25 May 2006. Retrieved 2017-09-29.
- ↑ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 11. Vol. 11. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 221.
- ↑ Boie, Friedrich (1826). "Generalübersicht der ornithologischen Ordnungen Familien und Gattugen". Isis von Oken (in German). 19. col. 972.
- ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 305. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ↑ Alström, P.; Ericson, P.G.P.; Olsson, U.; Sundberg, P. (2006). "Phylogeny and classification of the avian superfamily Sylvioidea". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 38 (2): 381–397. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.05.015. PMID 16054402.
- ↑ Oliveros, C.H.; et al. (2019). "Earth history and the passerine superradiation". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 116 (16): 7916–7925. Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.7916O. doi:10.1073/pnas.1813206116. PMC 6475423. PMID 30936315.
- 1 2 AviList Core Team (2025). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025". doi:10.2173/avilist.v2025. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ↑ Alström, P.; Rheindt, F.E.; Zhang, R.; Zhao, M.; Wang, J.; Zhu, X.; Gwee, C.Y.; Hao, Y.; Ohlson, J.; Jia, C.; Prawiradilaga, D.M.; Ericson, P.G.P.; Lei, F.; Olsson, U. (2018). "Complete species-level phylogeny of the leaf warbler (Aves: Phylloscopidae) radiation". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 126: 141–152. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.03.031. PMID 29631054. S2CID 4720300.
- ↑ Ng, Nathaniel. S. R.; Prawiradilaga, Dewi. M.; Ng, Elize. Y. X.; Suparno; Ashari, Hidayat; Trainor, Colin; Verbelen, Philippe; Rheindt, Frank. E. (2018). "A striking new species of leaf warbler from the Lesser Sundas as uncovered through morphology and genomics". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 15646. Bibcode:2018NatSR...815646N. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-34101-7. PMC 6199301. PMID 30353148.
- 1 2 "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2021-05-28.
Further reading
[edit]- Badyaev, Alexander V. & Leaf, Elizabeth S. (1997): "Habitat associations of song characteristics in Phylloscopus and Hippolais warblers". Auk 114(1): 40–46.
External links
[edit]
- Leaf warbler videos on the Internet Bird Collection
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| Other | |
