A biodiversity monitoring team from the Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences recently documented a new bird species record for Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province.

While conducting avian monitoring in the Hynobius Amjiensis National Nature Reserve in Anji county, the team identified a distinctive, whistling bird call near the reserve's core area. This call was confirmed to belong to the pale-tailed warbler, marking its first recorded presence in the city.

The pale-tailed warbler, previously considered a subspecies of the golden-spectacled warbler, was recognized as a distinct species in 2021 based on behavioral and genetic studies.

The pale-tailed warbler. [Photo/Nantaihuhao App]

It measures 11 to 12 centimeters in length, featuring a dark olive-green upper body and a yellow lower body, with bright yellow eye rings, a grey crown, and black lateral crown stripes.

This bird typically inhabits montane broadleaf forests, bamboo groves, shrubs, and dense low vegetation, feeding primarily on insects. It breeds in Central and Southeast China and migrates to South China during the non-breeding season. In Zhejiang, it is considered a rare summer visitor.

The discovery of the pale-tailed warbler in Anji expands its known distribution range and highlights the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation efforts within the reserve.