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Bird call
Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) call
Says its name: a steady, uneven 'chiff-chaff-chiff-chiff-chaff', one of the first songs of spring.
Listen to the Common Chiffchaff call
A field recording of the Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) by Susan Marley, shared on iNaturalist. Listen for the Common Chiffchaff in woodland habitats.
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Sounds similar
Birds that sound similar to the Common Chiffchaff
These birds belong to the leaf warbler family, like the Common Chiffchaff, so their calls can sound alike.
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Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
A sweet, wistful cascade of notes that slides down the scale and fades away.
Questions
Questions about the Common Chiffchaff
What does the Common Chiffchaff sound like?
Says its name: a steady, uneven 'chiff-chaff-chiff-chiff-chaff', one of the first songs of spring. Listen to the recording above.
Which birds sound like the Common Chiffchaff?
The Willow Warbler sounds similar.
Where can I hear the Common Chiffchaff?
SongLark teaches it in its Birds of England course.
How can I learn the Common Chiffchaff call?
In SongLark's Birds of England course, it comes in Level 4: Spring Migrants. SongLark teaches it by ear with real field recordings.
Courses
Learn this call in
SongLark teaches the Common Chiffchaff in its Birds of England course. Each course plays real field recordings and brings every bird back for review just before you would forget it.
- In Birds of England, the Common Chiffchaff comes in Level 4: Spring Migrants. That Level is about summer visitors back from Africa.
Learn it with these birds in Level 4 of Birds of England
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Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
A rich, fluty warble that starts with a scratchy chatter and rises to a clear, loud finish.
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Common Whitethroat Curruca communis
A brief, scratchy, hurried warble, often given in a short song flight above a hedge.
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Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
A cheerful, twittering warble with a dry rattle; long tail streamers over farms and fields.
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Common Swift Apus apus
Shrill, screaming parties racing around rooftops on summer evenings.
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Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
The famous 'cuck-oo', repeated over and over in spring; a grey, hawk-like summer visitor.
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Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
A fast, excited jumble of chattering, harsh notes and mimicry, varied and never repeated.
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Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
A steady, rhythmic chatter, 'chirruc-chirruc-jit-jit', from deep inside reedbeds.
Get SongLark
Learn Common Chiffchaff in SongLark
Install SongLark, sign in, and choose a course that teaches the Common Chiffchaff.
- Your first course is free. When you first sign in, you choose one course to keep.
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- One account, every device. Your progress syncs between devices.