Common Chiffchaff

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Woodland, scrub.
Diet: Insects.
Best time to spot: "Chiff-chaff" song; some now winter.

When to look

A summer visitor, typically in the UK from March to October. Numbers peak in April. See the April birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Common Chiffchaff sits in our Common tier for the UK: one of the birds you can expect on most days out in the right habitat. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Willow WarblerCommon · Scrub
• Arctic WarblerRare · Coastal scrub (vagrant)
• Dusky WarblerRare · Coastal scrub (autumn vagrant)
• Eastern Crowned WarblerLegendary · Coastal scrub (very rare)
• Green WarblerLegendary · Coastal scrub (extreme vagrant)
• Pale-legged Leaf WarblerLegendary · Scrub (extreme vagrant)

Tell it apart

Side-by-side ID guides: Chiffchaff vs Willow Warbler.

Kit that helps

Bird ID starter kit. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.