Emei Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus emeiensis      photos Sid Francis

Another very cryptic warbler, that's very difficult to field identify, with 100% certainty, by plumage from claudia's and kloss's. However, very easy when heard singing its unique and very unclaudia's/kloss's like trilling song. So cryptic is this species that It was only described and given species status through a 1995 paper, when only know locations where in the Emei/Wawu area of Sichuan. With online recordings becoming available, an increasing number of knowledgeable local birders and the increasing use of playback, the range of this species has been discovered to stretch into further provinces both north and south of Sichuan - a testament to both an increasing understanding of vocalizations and the citizen science contributions of the new breed of Chinese birders. 

Similar Species - field guides give certain subtle plumage difference from main Sichuan "look-alike," Claudia's - however worn plumages and all the factors involved in trying to get good view of leaf warblers means that these are not only difficult to ascertain in the field but also rather subtle to very difficult to see in photos and plates. Our experience shows, Emei also is also found in the top altitude range of kloss's habitat - kloss's only field identified with 100% certainty from claudia's through song. 

Habitat - our experience of finding this bird at Longcanggou and Erlang, shows it to inhabit a relatively narrow altitude band starting from around 1,500m and going to 2,200m - weve found good habitat to be lush forest with native evergreen broadleaf - but, inside correct altitude zone, have also found in pockets of native growth bordering or within conifer plantation. Rather local.

Vocalizations - has a slow sweet trilling song that is repeated - only leaf warbler that has anything similar is buff-barred, but that trill is scratchy, less sweet in tone and less strident. Buff-barred also breeds higher but on passage a singing bird could be found in emei habitat. Emei also has a distinctive call - a short burst of four or five notes - but as shown in xeno-canto, where song recordings far outnumber calls, its the song that draws most attention in the field. 

Song here      Sid Francis iNaturalist

Call here - xeno-canto     Dave Guo, XC768639. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/768639