English Name : Dusky Warbler
Scientific Name : Phylloscopus fuscatus
Dusky Warbler is polytypic species, including subspecies fuscatus, waigoldi, and robustus. Only ssp. fuscatus is recorded in Japan (Committee for Check-list of Japanese Birds 2000).
The records of Dusky Warbler in Japan was described by Seebohm(1877), Blakiston
and Pryer(1882), Dresser(1902), and Hartert(1909) (Shigeta 1996). They,
however, described only that it was recorded in Japan without the sites
and dates. Therefore, they have not been accepted as records in Japan.
The first acceptable record is on Iriomote-jima on 23th March 1982 (Uyama
1982). This record, however, was without photographic evidence. The second
record was caught on Mishima, off Yamaguchi Pref on 5th May 1984. Per Alstrom
and Urban Olsson observed on Hegura-jima on 2 Oct. 1984 (Alstrom and Olsson
1987).
Although the first acceptable record is in recent year as above mention,
Dusky Warbler is actually annual passege or winter visitor on the islands
in the Japan Sea and Nansei-shoto. It was also recorded rarely in main
lands of Hokkaido, Honshu, and Kyushu. In Honshu, it is often observed
in the bush near water. The bird of the following photographs was also
observed in the bush along Tama River, Tokyo. Parhaps it is the second
record in Tokyo (maybe the first photographic record in Tokyo).
References:
1) Alstrom, P. and Olsson, U. 1987. Some rare species observed in Japan
from September to November 1984. Strix 6: 105-108.(in Japanese)
2) Blakiston, T. W. and Pryer, H. 1882 Birds of Japan. Trans. Asiatic Soc. Japan. 10(1): 84-186.
3) Committee for Check-list of Japanese Birds (eds) 2000. Check-list of Japanese Birds. 6th revised edition. The Ornithological Society of Japan, Hokkaido.
4) Dresser, H. E. 1902. A Manual of Palearctic Birds, 1. published by the author, London.
5) Hartert, E. 1909. Die Vogel der Palaarktischen Fauna, 1(5). Veerlag von R. Friedlander und Sohn, Berlin.
6) Shigeta, Y. 1996. Keitai to Shikibetsu 35. Mujisekka to Karafuto-mujisekka.
Birder 10(5): 46- 55. (in Japanese)
7) Uyama, T. 1982. Yacho-jouhou Muji-sekka. Yacho 47(7): 30-31.(in Japanese)
Song and Call (ecorded on Tsushima, Nagasaki Pref. 3rd May 2007)
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1. 3 March 2004 Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo Note the no wing-bar and short primary projection. Flank and under tail-coverts are pale brown. Dusky Warbler prefers under the bush unlike other Phylloscopus (like Radde's Warbler). The call is "chok" that is rather simillar to Japanese Bush Warbler Cettia diphone, which prefers the same habitat. |
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2. 3 May 2004 Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo The same bird as on picture No.1. The supercilium is usually thinner in front of eye than behind (in Radde's, the supercilium in front on eye is usually broader and difuse). The upper edge of the supercilium is sharply delineated in front of the eye. The bill and leggs are thinner than Radde's Warbler. The upperparts is more brownish than Radde's Warbler, however worn plumages of Radde's Warbler in summer can be graysh brown. Chiffchaff has no wing-bar and short primary projection as Dusky Warbler. However Chiffchaff has a shorter supercilium, blackish bare parts, more whitish tail-coverts and a very different call (In the ssp. trists, that is recorded in Japan, the call is "hee"). |
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3. .3 May 2004 Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo The same bird as on picture No.1 and 2. The under wing coverts are buffish. The first primary is longer than all of Japanese Phylloscopus (except for Radde's Warbler). Muji-sekka, Japanese name is originate in the long first primary. "Sekka" is Japanese name of Zitting Cisticola Cisticola jucidis, which has long first primary. "Muji" means "plain". |