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17

Common Chiffchaff

(Phylloscopus collybita)
Alternate name(s): "Chiffchaff"
German name(s): "Zilpzalp", "Weidenlaubsänger"

Size: 10-11 cm; wing span 15-21 cm
Weight: 5-11 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Common Chiffchaff at Wikipedia .

Click here for classification information

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "collybita"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a moulting Common Chiffchaff looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2023]

Near-frontal view of a wet Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira de Vilar, Sernancelhe, Viseu, Portugal, December 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2017]

Near-lateral view of a moulting Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2023]

Near-lateral view of a Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

Lateral view of a Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2015]

Lateral view of a Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, , Portugal, October 2021]

Lateral view of a Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2013]

Lateral view of a soaking wet Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

Lateral view of a Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Bailao, Estremoz, Portugal, December 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2023]

Dorsal view of a Common Chiffchaff looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Common Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Palhais, Barrero, Portugal, January 2018]

Food, Diet

Lateral view of a Common Chiffchaff with its prey, a flying insect (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Common Chiffchaff with its prey, a flying insect (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, , Portugal, October 2021]

Common Chiffchaff picking a fly off a concrete pillar (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, June 2015]

Common Chiffchaff looking for insects or taking nectar? (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2019]

Common Chiffchaff looking for insects or taking nectar? (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

chifchf_dw_20200927.m4a collybita
(Poland)
Contact calls(?) © DW
chifchf_jp_20221230.mp3 collybita
(Portugal)
Contact calls(?) © JP
chifchf_jp_20230109.mp3 collybita
(Portugal)
Territorial song(?) © JP
chifchf_jp_20181202.m4a collybita
(Portugal)
Territorial song(?) © JP
chifchf_jp_20200523.m4a collybita
(Portugal)
Territorial song(?) (+ others in bkgd) © JP

More Common Chiffchaff sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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