The clear yellowish undersides and lack of a wing bar can be used to tell it apart from similar species.

It has slim dark legs with largely pale lower mandible and grayish wing panel.

[2][3] Tickell's leaf warbler is now one of around 80 species placed in the genus Phylloscopus that was introduced by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1826.

It is now lumped with the Tickell's leaf warbler based on the results of a 2019 study that compared nuclear genomic data for the two taxa.

[5][8] During the months of May to August the Tickell's leaf warbler creates a nest made of dry grasses and plant fibers.