Dusky Warbler

Phylloscopus fuscatus (Blyth, 1842)

≈12 cmLength8.7 gWeight

This small, secretive rufous leaf warbler has a prominent white supercilium and is usually identified by its call.

Busiest months: October–January · Most records: China, Thailand, Cambodia

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Unstreaked rufous back
Prominent white supercilium
Rufous-yellow belly
Slender, pointed bill

Male, female and young

Sexes alike; juvenile has more olive on the back.

Voice

Song is a monotonous whistle; call is a grating “check”.

Where and when it's recorded

Dusky Warbler has been recorded at 1,497 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 45 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)2,714 records
Long ValleyHong Kong (China)1,352 records
Kinmen – Lake Ci Fishponds Birding AreaChina1,051 records

More places

Po ToiHong Kong (China)949 records
Kinmen – Botanical GardenChina886 records
San TinHong Kong (China)824 records
Kinmen – Lieyu Lingshui LakeChina779 records
Mai Po NR – #8b ReedbedHong Kong (China)730 records
Taipei – Tianliaoyang WetlandTaiwan (China)594 records
Lam Tsuen ValleyHong Kong (China)579 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China Thailand Cambodia India Mongolia Bangladesh Laos Nepal

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The dusky warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus) is a leaf warbler which breeds in the east Palearctic. The genus name Phylloscopus is from Ancient Greek phullon, "leaf", and skopos, "seeker" (from skopeo, "to watch"). The specific fuscatus is from Latin fuscus "dark".

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Dusky Warbler?

The Dusky Warbler is about ≈12 cm long and weighs around 8.7 g.

Where does the Dusky Warbler live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: Northeast Asia and north-central China. It is most often recorded in China, Thailand and Cambodia.

When is the best time to see the Dusky Warbler?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, October, November and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Dusky Warbler endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Dusky Warbler as Least Concern.

What does the Dusky Warbler eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Dusky Warbler in?

It belongs to the family Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: ≈12 cm
Weight: 8.7 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 62 mm
Tail: 53 mm
Bill: 12 mm
Tarsus: 21 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: Northeast Asia and north-central China

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 2

Phylloscopus fuscatus fuscatus c, e Siberia to ne China and n Mongolia | non-breeding: to s, se Asia
Phylloscopus fuscatus robustus nc China | non-breeding: to n Indochina