Table of Contents 1.

This small greenish-brown bird is the ultimate harbinger of spring for many, being one of the first migrants to return to Britain’s shores after the winter months and singing a recognisable two-tone song that gave rise to its common name. For others, the repetitive nature of that same song is grating, the unassuming plumage is nothing to write home about, and the fact that some individuals have chosen to forego their usual migration and stay in the UK over the winter writes off any positive spring vibes that others may feel.

I fall firmly in the first camp. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in a race each year with my family to see who can hear the first Chiffchaff calling each March. This was often around the third week of the month, but over time has slowly crept into the second and closer to my birthday – it is now a birthday treat to hear my first of the year on the actual day (it has happened twice in recent years!).

Their scientific name is Phylloscopus collybita, and they belong to the group known as leaf warblers, with the genus name coming from the Ancient Greek phullon meaning “leaf” and skopos meaning “seeker”. The species name by comparison is likely to be a corruption of the word for money changer, on account of their song being like jingling coins.

The Chiffchaff has greenish-brown upperparts, off-white underparts and a short off-white supercilium (stripe above the eye). It also has dark legs and a dark bill. The plumage wears to a duller, browner colour with time. This makes them similar visually to Willow Warblers and these birds, along with Wood Warblers, were all once visually grouped as Willow Warblers. It was the work of British naturalist Gilbert White in 1789 that separated the three as individual species by their song.

Chiffchaffs are insectivores. Females are the nest builders and astonishingly, create a domed structure near or on the ground, often in woodland. They then assume most of the responsibility for brooding, feeding and raising the chicks while the male has little involvement in the nesting process, although he defends his territory against rivals and attacks potential predators. Such predators may include mammals like cats, stoats and weasels, and birds like Jays and hawks, especially in the genus Accipiter, which includes the Sparrowhawk and Goshawk. Disturbance by people and dogs can also be problematic in public areas.

There are two subspecies, one which occurs in Scandinavia and northern Russia but doesn’t have a common name and the Siberian Chiffchaff, which is further east and winters in the Himalayas. There are also three other species of Chiffchaff, the Iberian Chiffchaff, the Canary Islands Chiffchaff and the Mountain Chiffchaff. The first two are on the Iberian Peninsula and Spain respectively, while the third is in the Caucasus and the Himalayas and migrates altitudinally. All three look similar to the ones we see here in the UK, but have different songs.

At the time of writing, I’ve yet to hear my first Chiffchaff of the year, but I know that when I do, it will herald longer days ahead, spring in the air and more migrants on their way.