Sichuan Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus forresti     photos Sid Francis

Generally assumed to have full species status, after the split of the Pallas's Leaf Warbler complex - five very similar species, that despite having rather different vocalisation, were regarded as just one. Its also one the most widespread and plentiful Sichuan warblers - can be very common in dense. bushy secondary habitats at mid to high elevations. Sichuan is home to two other  (possibly three with the unclear staus of gansu) members of the complex, chinese, and the very similar sister-species pallas's, Difficult to confidently separate through plumage, the time of year the bird is seen becomes important - Sichuan a summer migrant and breeding bird, while, pallas's is passage/winter. All of the complex are typical fine billed, wingbar, coronal stripe and light rump type warblers - but Chinese which is also a summer breeding migrant has a vastly different song and call to Sichuan. If flying, and in the middle of the breeding season, its the large light rump that puts you onto a sichuan. 

Similar species - there are periods in early spring and late autumn when pallas's and sichuan are both present. Even though there are plumage variations and light and dark versions of both species, with differing levels of yellow wash on rump and face, I get the impression that pallas's have a neater more defined crown pattern and sichuan a black eye-stripe that points down to and becomes more diffuse around the ear coverts. Habit also seems different, Pallas's being more "hyperactive" - more, typical, leaf gleaning hovering behaviour than Sichuan. Pallas's is also a generally brighter bird. Both birds fully black bills - contrasting with chinese that has a yellow base to its lower mandible (difficult to see feature, best in photos). Plumage similar but light rump on the chinese less visible, and fainter crown stripe - but vocalisations are very different. 

Vocalisations - song is a series of trills - totally unlike Chinese Leaf warblers repeated mechanical song. A singing pallas's on passage is possible - but this song although containing trills is far more complicated and varied. Call is a simple tsiwi - a common sound and heard more frequently than the song. 

Habitat - native forest both mixed and conifer, but can be very common in bushy secondary type growth from around 1,500m to over 3,000m

Song here - xeno-canto      Peter Boesman, XC916436. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/916436

Call here - xeno-canto     Peter Boesman, XC916428. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/916428