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Iberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus ibericus) German name(s): "Iberienzilpzalp" Size: 10-11 cm; wing span 15-21 cm Body mass: 5-11 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.13-0.15

Europe: Family Group 17 Family Group 17 Table Dunnock Alpine Accentor Goldcrest Common Firecrest Madeira Firecrest Eurasian Wren Willow Warbler Common Chiffchaff Iberian Chiffchaff Arctic Warbler Yellow-barred Warbler Wood Warbler Western Bonelli's Warbler Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Iberian Chiffchaffs are very small leaf warblers. Overall, their plumage is dominated by olive-greyish hues. The front is yellowish-grey to light olive-grey. The crown, nape of the neck, back, rump and upperwing coverts are dark olive-grey. The flight feathers are dark-grey with narrow white leading edges. They have yellow supercilia that extend to behind the eyes and olive-grey eye stripes. The irises are dark. The bill has a grey upper mandible and a horn-coloured lower mandible. The legs and feet are pale dark-grey. Juvenile birds have duller colours than adults. Twitcher's tip Compared to Common Chiffchaffs, Iberian Chiffchaffs have on average more conspicuous, longer supercilia.

Taxonomy, classification See Iberian Chiffchaff at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information The Iberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus ibericus), the Canary Islands Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis) and the Mountain Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus sindianus) are no longer considered to be conspecific with the Common Chiffchaff.

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Iberian Chiffchaff is available HERE . The overall range of the Iberian Chiffchaff is limited to far western and north-western Africa, Iberia, and more recently also parts of central Europe. In Europe, Iberian Chiffchaffs are breeding migrants that are present from spring to autumn (while the Common Chiffchaff is a winter visitor). They are found primarily in Iberia, with a stronghold in the western and north-western part of the peninsula, and on the Belaric Islands. In recent years they are expanding their range northwards of the Pyrenees, with reports ranging from western France, the Benelux countries and western Germany to southern England and even near-coastal locations around the southern Baltic Sea. Iberian Chiffchaffs have a preference for open woodland with some trees and some undergrowth, including shrubs for nesting.

Sightings Click here for sighting information J. Pires reports finding Iberian Chiffchaffs occasionally during the breeding season in the area from Mora, Evora, to Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal. M. Eaton found Iberian Chiffchaffs in Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, in September 2019.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2023]

Frontal view of an Iberian Chiffchaff leaning sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-frontal view of an Iberian Chiffchaff looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2023]

Near-frontal view of an Iberian Chiffchaff leaning sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2023]

Near-frontal/ventral view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, September 2015]

Near-lateral view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2017]

Near-lateral/ventral view of an Iberian Chiffchaff studying the photographer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2025]

Lateral view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2019]

Lateral view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2019]

Lateral view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Lateral view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2023]

Near-dorsal view of an Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral/ventral view of a fledgling Iberian Chiffchaff (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2017]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary

Note that, while the Iberian Chiffchaff is a summer breeding migrant to Iberia, the Common Chiffchaff overwinters in Iberia and then migrates to breed further North.

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.

ibechif_jp_20220217.m4a	(Portugal)	Territorial call(?)	© JP
ibechif_jp_20200319_2.m4a	(Portugal)	Territorial calls(?)	© JP
ibechif_jp_20200319.m4a	(Portugal)	Territorial calls(?)	© JP
ibechif_jp_20200418.m4a	(Portugal)	Territorial calls(?)	© JP
ibechif_jp_20200523.m4a	(Portugal)	Various (+ Europ. Robin)	© JP

More Iberian 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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