White-spectacled Warbler     Seicercus affinis zosterops 

Etymology:

• Seicercus : Greek word sei-to shake; kerkos- tail

• Affinis : Latin word for “ Related”

• Zosterops : Greek word zoster – belt, girdle; ops – eye

Distribution : Resident of East Himalayas from North East India (West Bengal Eastwards to South East Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, South Assam, Nagaland and Manipur); winter visitor at lower altitudes in same area. 

Details : Size of 11–12 cm. Race zosterops has “bright” grey median crownstripe, black lateral crownstripe distinct on forehead up to bill. The sides of crown and nape below the lateral crownstripe and upper ear-coverts are grey, lower ear-coverts is green, sometimes greyish-green or greenish-grey .The lores are green, usually with some pale yellow admixed. It has distinct white eyering broken anteriorly above eye, usually with some pale yellow in front of eye. Its upperparts are green; upperwing and tail are brown-grey with green feather edges, tips of greater upperwing-coverts are pale yellow forming distinct pale wingbar). It has prominent white wedges on inner webs of two outermost pairs of rectrices. It is bright yellow below, variable amount of pale greenish on breast side and, often, flanks. The iris is dark brown; upper mandible is blackish, lower mandible is pale orange; legs are pale greyish-pink.

Habitat: It is found in breeding season in upper part of tropical, mostly evergreen, broadleaf forest zone to lower part of cool temperate zone with mainly deciduous broadleaf forest; favours lush undergrowth in mature forest. It is found at 1400–2600 m in Himalayas .

Food habits:  It eats insects. It forages mainly in understorey; catching prey in short flights.

Breeding habits: They breed in Apr–Jun in Himalayas. The nest is a ball of moss, rootlets, and a few leaves, lined with fine vegetable down, placed in hollow or in dense moss on steep bank, occasionally in tree hole. They lay a clutch of 4–5 eggs. The incubation is done by both sexes.