Woodland Trust

Nature's CalendarNature Detectives

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Chiffchaff. Margaret Bartonchiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

  • A small bird similar to the willow warbler
     
  • Delicately tinted grey-olive plumage
     
  • The easiest way to tell them apart is their song

The chiffchaff has a two-note, almost mechanical sounding song, hence chiffchaff - click on the recording below to listen:

Where found

Woods and hedges. It nests near the ground, although is best seen and heard in the tops of tall trees.
 

When to look for

  • A summer visitor from March onwards
     
  • Increasingly overwintering in southern counties

Its song is one of the first and most distinguishable in spring
 
Fabulous chiffchaff facts

  • Chiffchaffs are extremely active birds, constantly flicking their tails and wings while feeding

  • They favour small insects, including caterpillars, gnats and midges, that are foraged from high in the canopy

  • They also catch flies in mid-air and hover to pick insects from under leaves

  • Chiffchaffs will only sing in trees more than 5m high

  • The female builds a domed nest on or near the ground, and assumes most of the responsibility for brooding and feeding the chicks

  • The male has little involvement in nesting, but defends his territory against rivals, and attacks potential predators

  • These small dumpy warblers are summer visitors to the UK and are scarce in Scotland
 
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