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  • Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff
Chiffchaff
  • Scientific name: Phylloscopus collybita
  • Bird family: Warblers
  • UK conservation status: Green
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Chiffchaff song audio

Your browser does not support this audio feature.

Patrik Aberg, Xeno-canto

Key information

The chiffchaff is a small olive-brown warbler which actively flits through trees and shrubs, with a distinctive tail-wagging movement.

Although not always the case, chiffchaffs often have dark legs and a short pale eye stripe, whereas the willow warbler -  a very similar looking species - has pale legs and a long yellow eye stripe. It is readily distinguished by its song, from where it gets its name.

It picks insects from trees and also flies out to snap them up in flight.

What they eat:

Insects and spiders.

Measurements:

Length:
10-11cm
Wingspan:
15-21cm
Weight:
6-10g

Population:

UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.
UK breeding:
1,200,000 territories
UK wintering:
500-1,000 birds

Identifying features:

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff illustration
Feather colour: Brown Cream/buff Green Yellow
Leg colour: Brown
Beak: Black Short Thin
Natural habitats: Woodland Farmland Heathland Urban and suburban Wetland

Similar birds:

Willow Warbler
Willow warbler
Wood warbler
Wood warbler

Where and when to see them

Chiffchaffs can be found in lowland woodlands, parks and large gardens.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Chiffchaff distribution map

Chiffchaffs can be seen all year round, but most arrive in late March and depart in August and September. More have been over-wintering in recent years.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

RSPB reserves

  • RSPB Marazion Marsh

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