Mountain Blackeye Chlorocharis emiliae is one of the commonest birds in the upper montane scrubs near the tree line on Kinabalu. It is a plain olive-green bird, with slightly paler underparts, with a black loral line expanding to fully encircle the eye to behind the eye, bordered with bright yellowish green, hence its common name.
Four different subspecies have been described, one of them being found only on Kinabalu and the others also also having fairly restricted distributions. the four races are a) C. e. emiliae with the underparts dark green on Kinabalu only; b) C. e. trinitae, with the underparts pale green to yellowish on Gunung Trus Madi; c) C. e. fusciceps with the underparts yellow and crown sepia on the Maga mountains; d) C. e. moultoni, much yellower from the Tama Abo Range , Gunung Mulu and Gunung Pueh.
This photo is taken in Gunung Alab, next to Rafflesia Forest Reserve, I do not know what race it is but the location is nearer to Gunung Trus Madi than to Kinabalu, so I presume it is C. e. trinitae.
This following is taken in Kinabalu Park, Timpohon Gate, so it must be of the race C. e. emiliae.
Happy birding.
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