Scientific name: Phylloscopus collybita (Vieillot, 1817)
Bird group: Warblers
Field characters. 11 cm. Small, mainly greenish or brownish warbler without any obvious field marks. Various (sub)species occur within region, differing mainly in colour but sometimes in voice as well. Most common subspecies within region, collybita, shows olive upperparts, buffish-yellow breast band and flanks, whitish belly, and greenish edges on flight feathers; buff or yellowish supercilium not very prominent, bordered below by dark eye-stripe. Subspecies abietinus, occurring in Fenno-Scandia, greyer above and whiter below. Iberian Chiffchaff P. ibericus from the Iberian Peninsula is like collybita in plumage, but the song differs; currently considered a distinct species. Legs always dark, sometimes black. Differs from Willow Warbler in shorter wings, greyer or browner plumage, (usually) dark legs, call, and habit of frequently flicking wings and tail. Sexes similar. Juvenile similar to adult, but often somewhat yellower or greyer and body feathering more fluffy.
Voice. Call 'hwiet'. Song of collybita and abietinus a monotonous 'chif chaf-chif chaf'; Iberian Chiffchaff more varied, starting and ending with clipped 'tit' calls with drawn-out 'tswee'-phrases in the middle.
Distribution. Very common summer visitor.
Habitat. Occurs in variety of habitats with trees and bushes, like parks and deciduous and mixed woods. Requires higher trees than Willow Warbler.
Food. Mainly insects. Often feeds on the ground.