Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monaco • April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Chiffchaff
Latin: Phylloscopus collybita
Other: Common Chiffchaff • Pouillot véloce (Fr) • Luì piccolo (It) • Mosquitero común (Es) • Zilpzalp (De), Weidenlaubsänger
Family: Phylloscopidae • Leaf Warblers

The Chiffchaff is the archetypal cute little brown bird - fairly featureless and easily confused with several other warblers, especially the Willow Warbler. Many winter here on the coast, whereas the Willow Warbler all migrate, allowing the former to be identified more easily.

Chiffchaffs have a lightish supercilium and light lower eyering, with yellowish-white chest and belly feathers. Dark legs.

A small bird, and generally difficult to photograph in nature, but I have recently discovered they are regular visitors to my balcony! This is a good time to observe the little fellas up close.

Chiffchaffs seem prone to bill deformities - I have a few pics, which I may upload later, of several “different-looking” chiffchaffs.

The range of chiffchaffs is quite large: Spain to Siberia in the summer and sub-Saharan Africa, Spain, Morocco, India, Middle East, Mediterranean coast, and parts of France and the UK in the winter.More photos...

184 Phylloscopidae - Leaf warblers and allies - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Phylloscopus ruficapilla - Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler - E, S Africa
Phylloscopus laurae - Laura's Woodland Warbler - SC Africa
Phylloscopus laetus - Red-faced Woodland Warbler - EC Africa
Phylloscopus herberti - Black-capped Woodland Warbler - WC Africa
Phylloscopus budongoensis - Uganda Woodland Warbler - EC Africa
Phylloscopus umbrovirens - Brown Woodland Warbler - E, Africa, also Arabian Peninsula
Phylloscopus trochilus - Willow Warbler - Widespread Eurasia - Africa
Phylloscopus collybita - Common Chiffchaff - Widespread Eurasia - S Asia, N Africa
Phylloscopus ibericus - Iberian Chiffchaff - SW Europe, Eurasia, also NW Africa - W Africa
Phylloscopus canariensis - Canary Islands Chiffchaff - Canary Islands
Phylloscopus sindianus - Mountain Chiffchaff - Turkey to Himalayas - S Asia
Phylloscopus neglectus - Plain Leaf Warbler - SC Eurasia - S Asia
Phylloscopus bonelli - Western Bonelli's Warbler - SW Eurasia - N Africa
Phylloscopus orientalis - Eastern Bonelli's Warbler - SC Eurasia - NE Africa
Phylloscopus sibilatrix - Wood Warbler - W Eurasia - W, C Africa
Phylloscopus fuscatus - Dusky Warbler - NE Asia, WC China - Asia
Phylloscopus fuligiventer - Smoky Warbler - E Himalayas, C, E Tibetan Plateau - NE India
Phylloscopus affinis - Tickell's Leaf Warbler - Himalayas - India to Burma
Phylloscopus occisinensis - Alpine Leaf Warbler - WC China - Uncertain - Split from Tickell's Leaf Warbler P. affinis
Phylloscopus subaffinis - Buff-throated Warbler - C, S China - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus griseolus - Sulphur-bellied Warbler - WC Eurasia - India
Phylloscopus armandii - Yellow-streaked Warbler - NE, C China - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus schwarzi - Radde's Warbler - NE Eurasia - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus pulcher - Buff-barred Warbler - Himalayas, C China - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus maculipennis - Ashy-throated Warbler - Himalayas, N Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus kansuensis - Gansu Leaf Warbler - NC China - ?
Phylloscopus yunnanensis - Chinese Leaf Warbler - N, C China - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus proregulus - Pallas's Leaf Warbler - E Eurasia - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus chloronotus - Lemon-rumped Warbler - Himalayas
Phylloscopus subviridis - Brooks's Leaf Warbler - SC Eurasia - N Pakistan, NW India
Phylloscopus inornatus - Yellow-browed Warbler - NC, NE Eurasia - Asia
Phylloscopus humei - Hume's Leaf Warbler - SC, C China - India
Phylloscopus borealis - Arctic Warbler - N, Eurasia, also W Alaska - Southeast Asia, Philippines
Phylloscopus nitidus - Green Warbler - SC Eurasia - India
Phylloscopus trochiloides - Greenish Warbler - W, C Eurasia - Asia
Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus - Two-barred Warbler - E Eurasia - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus tenellipes - Pale-legged Leaf Warbler - E Eurasia - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus borealoides - Sakhalin Leaf Warbler - Japan - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus magnirostris - Large-billed Leaf Warbler - Himalayas, C China - India
Phylloscopus tytleri - Tytler's Leaf Warbler - SC Eurasia - India
Phylloscopus occipitalis - Western Crowned Warbler - SC to W Himalayas - India
Phylloscopus coronatus - Eastern Crowned Warbler - E Eurasia - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus ijimae - Ijima's Leaf Warbler - Izu Islands - Philippines
Phylloscopus reguloides - Blyth's Leaf Warbler - NW, C, E Himalayas to W, C Indochina, SC Vietnam - Asia
Phylloscopus claudiae - Claudia's Leaf Warbler - C, E China - Split from P. reguloides
Phylloscopus goodsoni - Hartert's Leaf Warbler - SE China - Split from P. reguloides
Phylloscopus emeiensis - Emei Leaf Warbler - S China
Phylloscopus davisoni - Davison's Leaf Warbler - Yunnan, N, C, E Burma, NW Thailand, N, C Laos and N, C Vietnam. Asia - Was White-tailed Leaf Warbler
Phylloscopus ogilviegranti - Kloss's Leaf Warbler - SE, C Sichuan, SE Yunnan, to SC, S Vietnam - Split from P. davisoni
Phylloscopus hainanus - Hainan Leaf Warbler - S China
Phylloscopus forresti - Sichuan Leaf Warbler - SC China
Phylloscopus cantator - Yellow-vented Warbler - E Nepal to C Laos
Phylloscopus calciatilis - Limestone Leaf Warbler - N, C Vietnam, N, C Laos - new species related to Yellow-vented and Sulphur-breasted warblers
Phylloscopus ricketti - Sulphur-breasted Warbler - EC, S China - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus olivaceus - Philippine Leaf Warbler - Philippines
Phylloscopus cebuensis - Lemon-throated Leaf Warbler - Philippines
Phylloscopus trivirgatus - Mountain Leaf Warbler - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus nigrorum - Negros Leaf Warbler - Philippines - Split from P. trivirgatus
Phylloscopus sarasinorum - Sulawesi Leaf Warbler - Sulawesi
Phylloscopus presbytes - Timor Leaf Warbler - Lesser Sundas
Phylloscopus poliocephalus - Island Leaf Warbler - Moluccas to New Guinea & Solomon Islands
Phylloscopus makirensis - Makira Leaf Warbler - Solomon Islands
Phylloscopus amoenus - Kolombangara Leaf Warbler - Solomon Islands
Phylloscopus xanthoschistos - Grey-hooded Warbler - Himalayas

Seicercus affinis - White-spectacled Warbler - E Himalayas to SE China, S Vietnam
Seicercus burkii - Green-crowned Warbler - Himalayas - N India
Seicercus tephrocephalus - Grey-crowned Warbler - NE India to N Vietnam, C China - N Southeast Asia
Seicercus whistleri - Whistler's Warbler - Himalayas to Burma
Seicercus valentini - Bianchi's Warbler - C, SE China, N Vietnam - S China, N Southeast Asia
Seicercus omeiensis - Martens's Warbler - C China - N Southeast Asia - Was Omei Warbler
Seicercus soror - Plain-tailed Warbler - C, SE China - N Southeast Asia
Seicercus poliogenys - Grey-cheeked Warbler - N India to S Vietnam
Seicercus castaniceps - Chestnut-crowned Warbler - Himalayas to Sumatra
Seicercus montis - Yellow-breasted Warbler - Malay Peninsula to Philippines, Asia, also Lesser Sundas
Seicercus grammiceps - Sunda Warbler - Sumatra, Java