Lemon-rumped Warbler

The Lemon-rumped Warbler is 9–10 cm long and weighs about 4.6–5.1 g. It has a whitish crown stripe bordered by darker olive-brown sides, a pale line above the eye, and a dark eyestripe that often curves downward. The upperparts are greenish-grey, and the rump is yellowish or whitish, which gives the species its name. The wings are grey-brown with green edging and usually show one or two pale wingbars. The underparts are whitish or buff with some grey along the breast sides. The bill is dark with a yellowish or orange base to the lower mandible, and the legs are dark grey. Males and females are similar, though females are slightly smaller. Juveniles resemble adults. Two subspecies are recognized: one in the central and eastern Himalayas and another in the west, which shows greener and more buff-toned plumage.

The species breeds across the Himalayas from northern Pakistan through Nepal into India, Bhutan, and China. In winter, it descends to lower elevations, reaching Assam and occasionally Myanmar, though its presence in Afghanistan is uncertain. It inhabits montane forests between 2 200 and 4 200 meters above sea level. In Pakistan it is most frequent at elevations of 2 200–2 700 m, while in Nepal it ranges up to 4 000 m. Winter records occur from 300–2 700 m, generally above 1 000 m. Breeding habitat includes spruce and fir forests with rhododendron and broadleaf trees, as well as oak and lower-elevation broadleaf stands near the conifer zone.

Its diet consists mainly of insects and larvae. It forages alone or in pairs in winter but also joins mixed-species flocks. Foraging occurs in the canopy and understory, often involving short hovering or sallies to catch prey in the air—a behavior known as flycatching.