Like most leaf warblers, it is a small, active bird and excruciatingly difficult to identify; likely to be seen fleetingly in the upper layers of the forest. Very similar in appearance to other “Pallas’s-type” leaf warblers in its range. Bleached-white crown stripe and predominantly white brow stripes distinguish this species from the much yellower Pallas’s Leaf Warbler. Sichuan lacks the white tail edges (visible in flight) of Buff-barred and Ashy-throated warblers. Appears nearly identical to Lemon-rumped Warbler but has a brighter yellow rump and averages darker olive-green above. Breeds in mid- to high-elevation coniferous and mixed forests, but descends into foothills in the winter. Song has two types, both of which are difficult to distinguish from those of Lemon-rumped Warbler, but they tend to be slower in their delivery. Calls are crisp notes, slower-sounding and longer than those of Lemon-rumped Warbler.