Chiffchaff
| Irish Name: | Tiuf-teaf |
| Scientific name: | Phylloscopus collybita |
| Bird Family: | Warblers |
green
Conservation status
Conservation status
Status
A common and widespread summer visitor (April to September) to woodlands, as well as a common passage migrant and scarce winter visitor.
Identification
Very similar to Willow Warbler and about the same size as that species. Ages and sexes identical. Largely dull greenish above, slightly paler below. Has faint supercilium and dark eyestripe, as well as a narrow white eyering. Legs are usually dark, though pale-legged birds have been noted. In comparison to Willow Warbler, note duller green colour, dark legs, call and behaviour - frequently dips tail. Chiffchaffs from Scandinavia and Siberia can appear (rarely) on autumn passage in Ireland, these being almost pure white underneath and brown-grey above.
Voice
A rather vocal species. The most frequently heard call is a quiet “hu-it”. This is rather similar to that of the Willow Warbler and some experience is required to separate the two species on call alone. The song is a distinctive “tsilp-tsulp-tsilp-tsulp”, (i.e. “chiff-chaff”) usually repeated five or six times.
Diet
Feeds almost exclusively on insects and other invertebrates.
Breeding
Not as common or widespread as the Willow Warblers with Chiffchaffs favouring deciduous woodlands and well vegetated hedgerows for breeding rather than boggy or marshy areas.
Wintering
The Irish breeding population migrates south to winter around the Mediterranean basin. Chiffchaffs seen here during the winter months will have come from Scandinavia and Central and Eastern Europe.
Monitored by
Widespread summer visitor in Ireland. A very common passage migrant on headlands along the south coast.
Mostly Wintering in Africa. Small numbers of birds remain throughout the Winter.
