Western Crowned Warbler

The western crowned warbler is a leaf warbler that breeds in Central Asia and winters in the forests of the Western Ghats. It prefers forests with high foliage complexity and tree density, and has a distinctive crown stripe and two wing-bars. It can be identified by its large pale bill, greyish mantle, crown stripes and pale legs, and often moves in small flocks or mixed hunting parties (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is an insectivore. The nest is built in a hole, and the typical clutch is four eggs. SoIB 2023 rates it a Moderate conservation priority, a within-India migrant of forest and plantation with a Moderate range of about 162,000 km², a rapid long-term decline of about 67% and an inconclusive current trend (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).