Habitat
Subtropical and tropical moist montane forest, temperate forest, temperate and subarctic shrubland. From 1,000 - 1,200 m, occasionally up to 4,400 m.
Mountain Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus sindianus) [XC482766]
by Lars Lachmann from Stepantsminda, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia (song)
Mountain Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus sindianus) [XC482755]
by Lars Lachmann from Zotikiantkari, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia (alarm call, call)
Subspecies
Phylloscopus collybita (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), Canary Islands Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis), Iberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus ibericus) and Mountain Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus sindianus) following AERC TAC (2003) (see Sangster et al. 2002).
Mountain Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus sindianus) now includes Caucasian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus lorenzii) previously treated as distinct by Sibley and Monroe (1993).
Until recently was often treated as a subspecies of Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita). Subspecies lorenzii is treated by some authors as a separate species (Caucasian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus lorenzii)).
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
lorenzii (Lorenz, T, 1887) - Breeds Caucasus south to north-eastern Turkey and north-western Iran. Non-breeding at lower altitudes to southern Iran. Sometimes considered a distinct species, Caucasian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus lorenzii). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Caucasian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus lorenzii).
sindianus Brooks, 1879 - Breeds southern Tien Shan and from Tajikistan (Pamir-Alai Mts) east to Kunlun Shan and western Altun Shan, and south-east to Karakorum and north-western Himalayas in Pakistan (north-western Chitral, Gilgit, Baltistan) and north-western India (Ladakh east to northern Himachal Pradesh). Non-breeding mainly in southern Pakistan (Sind).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet