Blyth's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus reguloides) [XC798566]
by Brian Cox from Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, \u0110\u1eafk Glei District, Kon Tum, Vietnam (song)
Blyth's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus reguloides) [XC426796]
by Ramit Singal from Eagle Nest, Sessni area and lower, Arrunachal Pradesh, India (song)
Subspecies
Phylloscopus reguloides (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Blyth's Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus reguloides), Claudia's Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus claudiae) and Hartert's Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus goodsoni) following Olsson et al. (2005).
Close relationship to Western Crowned Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus occipitalis) suggested by results of DNA studies. Subspecies goodsoni formerly treated as a subspecies of Sulphur-breasted Warbler (Phylloscopus ricketti), but recently reassessed as having much closer affinities with present species. Current taxonomy in need of review. Evidence from mitochondrial DNA indicates that subspecies claudiae represents a separate species, and that goodsoni and fokiensis should together be treated as a further distinct species. Also that kashmiriensis is genetically identical to (and in plumage and voice doubtfully distinct from) Himalayan populations of nominate; and that position of assamensis is also uncertain as, in genetic analysis, some samples of this taxon clustered with nominate and others with ticehursti. Populations from China, Thailand and Vietnam currently placed in assamensis are probably more accurately assigned to ticehursti. Further research is required.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
kashmiriensis Ticehurst, 1933 - Breeds north-western Himalayas from northern Pakistan (Murree Hills) and Kashmir east to northern India (Simla east to Garhwal). Non-breeding in foothills.
reguloides (Blyth, 1842) - Breeds central Himalayas in northern India (Kumaon) and Nepal east to Bhutan. Non-breeding in foothills in Nepal east to northern Bangladesh, north-eastern India and possibly Myanmar.
assamensis Hartert, 1921 - Breeds eastern Himalayas of north-eastern India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur) and southern China (south-eastern Xizang and north-western Yunnan east to south-western Sichuan and eastern Guizhou), and in north, western and eastern Myanmar, north-western Thailand (Doi Inthanon) and northern Vietnam. Non-breeding at lower levels eastern from Sikkim and south to Bangladesh, southern Myanmar and north-west, north-eastern and south-eastern Thailand.
claudiae (La Touche, 1922) - Mts. of western China to eastern Tibet; > to southern China and south-eastern Asia. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Claudia's Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus claudiae).
fokiensis E. J. O. Hartert, 1917 - Breeds south-eastern China (western Hubei, Guizhou and Guangxi east to Anhui and Fujian). Non-breeding southern China (Yunnan) and perhaps also Vietnam. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Hartert's Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus goodsoni).
goodsoni E. J. O. Hartert, 1910 - South-eastern China. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Hartert's Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus goodsoni).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet