Chiffchaffs are summer visitors to the UK and are scarce in Scotland.

Physical Description
Chiffchaffs are 10-11cm in height. The upper-parts of their body are olive brown and the under-parts are buff/white with a yellowish tint. They are very similar in appearance to willow warblers, except that they have a black beak and legs.

Distribution
Chiffchaffs can be found across the UK, Eurasia and parts of Africa.

Habitat
Chiffchaffs inhabit woodlands and areas with a good degree of tree cover. They will not sing in trees less than 5m high.

Diet
They feed on small insects, including caterpillars, gnats and midges. They tend to forage high in the canopy, but also catch flies in mid-air and hover to pick insects from under leaves.

Behaviour
Chiffchaffs are active birds and constantly flick their tails and wings while feeding. They are one of the earliest migrants to arrive in the UK, appearing in mid-March and often staying into October.

Reproduction
A domed nest of moss and dried grass lined with feathers is built just above the ground in a bramble bush or evergreen shrub. The female lays 6-7 eggs in late April/early May, which she incubates for about 13 days. The chicks fledge after about 14 days.

Conservation status
Chiffchaffs are not considered to be endangered.

Voice
The song is a repetition of two notes sung in an irregular order, sounding like chiff and chaff. Other calls include a quiet siff-siff-siff and a louder hweet.