Iduna, Keyserling & J. H. Blasius, 1840

Khan, Iqbal Ali, Kumar, Anil & Bhatt, Dinesh, 2022, New distribution record of Booted Warbler Iduna caligata (Lichtenstein, 1823) from Hanle, Eastern Ladakh, India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 122 (4), pp. 363-365 : 363-365

Genus Iduna

Booted Warbler Iduna caligata (Lichtenstein, 1823)

On September 14, 2021, while birding in Hanle (32.46 oN, 78.59 oE; 4267m asl), a distinct bird call was heard from a small Willow ( Salix alba ) orchard located in Khaldo hamlet. The direction of the call was followed carefully. The bird was photographed, and further observations were made on this leaf warbler species foraging under the willow tree canopy ( Figures 2, 3 and 4 ). At first glance, it was quite similar to the Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita or the Sykes’ Warbler Iduna rama . Scrutiny of the plumage characteristics using a field guide (Grimmett, et al., 2016), revealed that its upper part was sandy brown and it had a finer bill than the Sykes’ Warbler’s. Yet it resembled a Common Chiffchaff, but the bird lacked the greenish-olive tone, instead, it had pale base to the lower mandible and pale legs and a more distinct square-ended supercilium behind the eye, bordered above by a diffuse dark line, faint whitish underparts edges tip to tail and fringes to tertials, a square-ended tail, and shorter undertail coverts. As a result, this bird was identified as a Booted Warbler Iduna caligata . In addition, for identification and confirmation, the images were shared with other birders in the ‘Wildlife of Ladakh’ Facebook group explaining the behaviour of the bird. After much debate and cross-identification by experts, it was finally determined to be a Booted Warbler owing to its short dark-tipped bill, the colour of the upper part and also the behaviour of foraging occasionally on lower ground. It may be a vagrant living in the grasslands of eastern Ladakh as a staging ground during the winter migration to the southern part of India.

Remarks: The same species was observed again in the same week of the month by other birders who visited Hanle. It would be worth appreciating if other birders and birding groups visiting Ladakh during the summer months of June/July could pay attention to watch out for this species to learn more about the occurrence of this

Figures

Figures 2-4. Booted WarblerIduna caligata photographed in willow orchard at Khaldo, Hanle, Ladakh (Photographed by Iqbal Ali Khan).