Leaf warblers · Perching birds
Common Chiffchaff
Copied!
Phylloscopus collybita
Copied!
Voice
Song
Song
Alarm
How to recognize it
-
Small, plump warbler; greenish-brown above, off-white below
-
Dark legs and a fine dark bill
-
Short pale eyebrow, rounded wings
-
Song: repeating chiff-chaff, call a brief hweet
About the species
The Common Chiffchaff is a small, plain leaf warbler with a neat, compact look. What stands out most is its tidy shape, rounded wings, and habit of moving with quick, restless energy.
It is best noticed by voice — a steady, repeated chiff-chaff song that arrives very early in spring. The male sings from an exposed perch, guards his patch fiercely, and can be bold around intruders near the nest.
It breeds in open woodland, clearings with taller trees, and sheltered places with thick low growth, often near water. It feeds mainly on small insects and their larvae, and in autumn also takes elderberries; it is migratory, returning early and leaving late.
Where to find
-
In mature city parks with tall old trees — especially oaks, lindens, and maples — Common Chiffchaff gives itself away with a thin, repetitive song from the canopy.
-
Along canal banks, pond edges, and reed-fringed water, look for quick flickering movement through the leaves as it picks tiny insects.
-
At the edges of larger squares or green spaces with shrubs and low cover, it forages low in tangles and often darts briefly out to the leaf tips.
-
In spring, on quiet avenues or tree-lined paths, the male often sings from the highest perch in sight, repeating its chiff-chaff call again and again.
