[Richard Klim]

Saitoh, Nishiumi, Shigeta & Ueda 2012. Re-examination of the taxonomy of the Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis (Blasius): three separate species within the Phylloscopus [borealis] superspecies. Jpn J Ornithol 61(1): 46–59. [abstract] [pdf]

PS. Alström et al 2011.

[dwatsonbirder]

Thanks for this Richard, very interesting findings. I eagerly await the first record of Kamchatka Leaf Warbler for the Western Palearctic, most likely with a mistnet and some recording equipment! Unfortunately no recordings on Xeno Canto yet, hopefully this will be amended shortly.

[Ian Lewis]

Is anything known about the respective wintering ranges of these three species or are all 'Arctic Warblers' seen in the winter months and on migration only identifiable to superspecies level?

Ian

[James Lowther]

hi ian,
not really a full answer but according to the alstrom paper they are diagnosable on the wintering grounds by call (and morphology? - field guides i have show xanthodryas as distinctly more yellow below but not sure how useful this is in real life) and they have confirmed occurrence of borealis from the thai-malay peninsula, borneo and the philippines. Examinandus lecotype is from Bali, so probably there is a big overlap in wintering/passage ranges. Both birds of SE Asia and birds of Borneo guides illustrate both borealis and xanthodryas, suggesting both occur.
cheers,
James

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by Ian Lewis

Is anything known about the respective wintering ranges of these three species or are all 'Arctic Warblers' seen in the winter months and on migration only identifiable to superspecies level?

See the wintering ranges in Clement 2006 (HBW 11), but note that here xanthodryas includes examinandus. It suggests that only P borealis sensu stricto winters in mainland SE Asia, but that P borealis and P xanthodryas/examinandus winter in Taiwan, Philippines and Sundas. However, I suspect that relatively few winter records have been conclusively identified to (sub)species.

[screaming piha]

Intriguingly, there was an Arctic Warbler with yellow underparts in Scilly in the mid 1980s.

[Ben Wielstra]

Sorry, I did not read it but did the Saitoh et al paper add a lot of new stuff compared to Alstrom et al?

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by Ben Wielstra

Sorry, I did not read it but did the Saitoh et al paper add a lot of new stuff compared to Alstrom et al?

No, Ben. It seems to be a presentation of the results of Alström et al 2011 for a Japanese readership (and proposes Japanese vernacular names).

[Ian Lewis]

Originally Posted by Richard Klim

See the wintering ranges in Clement 2006 (HBW 11), but note that here xanthodryas includes examinandus. It suggests that only P borealis sensu stricto winters in mainland SE Asia, but that P borealis and P xanthodryas/examinandus winter in Taiwan, Philippines and Sundas. However, I suspect that relatively few winter records have been conclusively identified to (sub)species.

Thanks for the information,

I have seen undoubted borealis in Siberia and presumed borealis in the UK, but I am unable on the information currently available to identify those birds I saw in the Philippines and the Sundas to species.

Looks like a spring trip to Japan, including northern Hokkaido is required.

Ian

[Paul Leader]

The situation in Hong Kong (where it is a passage migrant only) may be of interest. In autumn borealis (s.s.) is the only taxon proven to occur. This is based on DNA analysis of trapped birds and the fact that only the 'single' call note is heard in autumn. In spring xanthrodryas predominates (based on singing birds and predominace of 'double' note call) with borelis being much rarer. There are no records as yet of examinandus. This fits with a well established pattern in HK of south-east Asian wintering passerines predominating in autumn and Philippine wintering taxa predominating in spring.

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by Richard Klim

Saitoh, Nishiumi, Shigeta & Ueda 2012. Re-examination of the taxonomy of the Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis (Blasius): three separate species within the Phylloscopus [borealis] superspecies. Jpn J Ornithol 61(1): 46–59.

Revised links on new J-STAGE system (wef 1 May 2012): [abstract] [pdf]

[lewis20126]

Originally Posted by Paul Leader

The situation in Hong Kong (where it is a passage migrant only) may be of interest. In autumn borealis (s.s.) is the only taxon proven to occur. This is based on DNA analysis of trapped birds and the fact that only the 'single' call note is heard in autumn. In spring xanthrodryas predominates (based on singing birds and predominace of 'double' note call) with borelis being much rarer. There are no records as yet of examinandus. This fits with a well established pattern in HK of south-east Asian wintering passerines predominating in autumn and Philippine wintering taxa predominating in spring.

Aware of the impending split, I took some brief notes on the "Arctics" in the Phils in winter 2008/2009 and noted yellow suffusions on the birds I saw well at Candaba Marsh, Luzon. However, without any calls or photographs, suspect I am unable to go any further than believing they were likely of one of the two "new" "yellower" species.

cheers, alan

[dnsallen]

Alan, I only have 2 video clips with Arctics calling but both seem to be borealis.
Re netted birds, from our Dalton Pass report:
'Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis Four birds were netted and ringed during 17–22 October, two at night and two during the day. All were considered to belong to the same taxon. Judging from measurements and the relatively yellow appearance of the supercilium and underparts, this was possibly P. borealis kennicotti. A few other Phylloscopus warblers thought also to be this species were seen in forest edge or secondary growth around Imugan.'
Round, P. D. & Allen, D. 2010. Nocturnal Captures of birds at Dalton Pass, Luzon, Philippines, October 2009-January 2010. Report to Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Republic of The Philippines. The Wetland Trust, Icklesham, UK. v + 53pp.

[Richard Klim]

Birding-Aus, 25 Nov 2012...

Kamchatka Leaf Warbler (new bird for Oz) and other vagrants off NW WA

Hi All,

Five of us (George Swann, Mike Carter, Ash Herrod, Alistair Stewart and myself) have just returned from a November survey trip to Ashmore Reef and several inshore islands off NW Western Australia.

The birding highlight was Australia's first documented Kamchatka Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus examinandus observed over several days at Ashmore Reef. A series of images and sound recordings of its diagnostic contact call were obtained. Pics of the bird are here:
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/...a_leaf_warbler

Kamchatka Leaf Warbler is a recent (2008) split from Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis. We were therefore fortunate to also observe and photograph a typical Arctic Warbler within about 50 m of the KL Warbler.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/image/147528039

...
Cheers,
Rohan Clarke
--
www.wildlifeimages.com.au
rohan AT wildlifeimages.com.au

[StevePreddy]

Originally Posted by screaming piha

Intriguingly, there was an Arctic Warbler with yellow underparts in Scilly in the mid 1980s.

I've heard about this bird before from someone who saw it, and it's also mentioned in Vincombe & Cottridge's "Rare Birds in Britain and Ireland: a photographic record" although it's described there merely as flavistic: do you think there could be more to it? Checking the dates in old BB reports, it looks like it was present from 30 Sep to 2 Oct 1986, along with another (presumably normal?) bird.

Update: Bob Flood et al, Essential Guide to Birds of the Isles of Scilly describes it as "an example of flavism with bright yellow pigmentation" (and also gives the location as Newford Duck Pond.