Chiffchaff - Hebridean Birds
Western Isles Birds - Chiffchaffs - Hebridean Birds - Western Isles Birds.
Chiffchaffs are a dull green above and pale yellow below, with an off-white belly and a short eyebrow stripe.
A small olive-brown warbler which actively flits through trees and shrubs, with a distinctive tail-wagging movement.
Their flight feathers and tails are brown with olive-green fringes.
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| Bird Overview - Chiffchaff |
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| Description |
A small olive-brown warbler which actively flits through trees and shrubs, with a distinctive tail-wagging movement.
Less bright than the similar willow warbler and readily distinguished by its song, from where it gets its name. Picks insects from trees and also flies out to snap them up in flight .The chiff chaffs eyes are dark brown and their legs and feet are black.
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| Size |
| Length: 11-12 cm Wingspan: 15-21 cm |
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| Habitat |
Chiffchaffs are birds of woodland, scrub, parks and gardens THe chiff chaff is a regularly seen in spring and common autumn migrant; occasionally attempts to over-winter. |
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| Food |
Chiffchaffs mainly eat insects, caterpillars, aphids and moths. They will also feed from the sap of trees and in autumn and winter supplement their diet with seeds and berries.
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| Voice |
The Chiffchaffs can be identified by their distinctive “chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff�? call which distinguishes them from the very similar looking willow warbler.
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| Breeding |
The chiffchafs nest from April through to August. Females build their nests on the ground or just above it hidden in dense vegetation and are made od dry grasses, moss, feathers and leaves. They lay 5-6 smooth, glossy white eggs with purple markings, which are incubated for 13-15 days. The chicks are mainly fed by the female and will fledge the nest after 2 weeks, becoming fully independent after another 10-20 days.
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| Misc. Info |
Most British breeding Chiffchaffs migrate to the Mediterranean and West Africa for the winter, though there are an increasing number over-wintering in Britain. Most of the winter Chiffchaffs are birds from Scandinavia and mainland Europe, though some are "resident" British birds. |
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