Japanese Bush Warblers? - Tokyo (1 Viewer)

[Paul Collins]

Hi all,

A friend of a friend sent me these pictures taken today in Tokyo. I don't have any details on location or behaviour, just these 3 shots.

Pic 1 looks like Japanese Bush Warbler to me.
Pic 2 could be the same bird.
Pic 3 could be another Japanese Bush Warbler, but at a first glance I thought Arctic Warbler or maybe Radde's Warbler. The head's angle has thrown me. But it looks quite large next to the tree, and maybe plumage details look different in the shade, so I'm now thinking bush warbler.

The observer/photographer thought they could all be Japanese Bush Warblers. She's 6 years old and very impressively quickly learning her bird IDs!

Many thanks,

Paul

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I don't see why these aren't all Japanese Bush Warbler, which is the 'default' warbler in Tokyo in winter anyway.

 

[MacNara]

At this season in Tokyo (indeed all the main islands of Japan), Japanese Bush Warbler is the only possibility for these photos. If one was Radde's Warbler you would be able to tell because of the 1,000 middle-aged men (like me) with 800mm lenses and huge tripods (not like me, 300mm is OK).

[Having said that, this morning in my local patch in Nara City, I had a Eurasian Bittern flying over, checking out the area for thirty seconds or so, maybe a record of some sort for this prefecture (county).]

 

[Paul Collins]

I don't see why these aren't all Japanese Bush Warbler, which is the 'default' warbler in Tokyo in winter anyway.Y

Yes I thought Japanese bush warbler is the default. But I thought the last photo could be something else because the head angle , supercilium, eye stripe and lighting in the photo were leading me astray to Arctic warbler.
Thank you both.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Yes I thought Japanese bush warbler is the default. But I thought the last photo could be something else because the head angle , supercilium, eye stripe and lighting in the photo were leading me astray to Arctic warbler.
Thank you both.

Japanese Bush Warbler can be surprisingly phyllosc-like at times.

 

[HouseCrow]

point in case this Dusky Warbler-ish (i think...but i'm not that well trained in leaf warblers) at inaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/70070523 (borrowed from Tristan Scholze)
I was struggling with it but I must be right...right? (I don't know of any mottled leaf warbler)

cheers,
Gerben

 

[Paul Collins]

point in case this Dusky Warbler-ish (i think...but i'm not that well trained in leaf warblers) at inaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/70070523 (borrowed from Tristan Scholze)
I was struggling with it but I must be right...right? (I don't know of any mottled leaf warbler)

cheers,
Gerben

Exactly! If I had just been shown the 3rd photo and without any context given, I would have assumed a phylloscopus warbler. By the way I think yours is dusky, and it does show how similar they are in my opinion, even though face to face they're pretty different.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Exactly! If I had just been shown the 3rd photo and without any context given, I would have assumed a phylloscopus warbler. By the way I think yours is dusky, and it does show how similar they are in my opinion, even though face to face they're pretty different.

I think the one House Crow posted is also a Japanese Bush Warbler. Note the rather whitish, mottled ear coverts and white (not buffish) supercillium. Also, the bill seems a bit heavy for Dusky.

 

[HouseCrow]

Thanks! these posts confirm both my thoughts: it is most likely a mottled Japanese Bush Warbler but Dusky Warbler is not that far fetched... Good to know

cheers,
Gerben