All species
summer visitor
Least ConcernWarblers
Common Chiffchaff
A tiny, restless warbler that announces spring with its repetitive two-note song. Olive-brown and plain, it is often heard before it is seen as it flits through the canopy.
Phylloscopus collybita
Woodland Parks Gardens Hedgerows
Size
10-12 cm
Wingspan
15-21 cm
Weight
6-8 g
Lifespan
2-3 years
Diet
Small insects, spiders, aphids and larvae; forages actively in foliage.
Song & Call
A simple, repetitive 'chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff' song from which it takes its name.
Tap play to listen0:00
Speed
Visualizer
Recording by Pascal Christe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
How to identify
- Plain olive-brown plumage
- Pale eyebrow stripe
- Dark legs
- Constant tail dipping
Conservation
Least Concern
Common summer visitor; needs healthy insect populations and scrubby woodland.
