96 The Chiffchaff. 



Family— TURDID^E. Sub/aviily— SYLl IIN^. 



The Chiffchaff. 



Phylloscopiis ru/iis, Bechst. 



A PARTIALLY resident bird in mild winters in the warmer parts of Cornwall, 

 but by far the greater number migrates annually from our shores in 

 October : this species is, how'cver, the first to return in the spring, its 

 monotonous double note being often heard by the middle of Alarch. 



The northward range of the Chiffchaff in Europe extends almost to the 

 Arctic circle and eastward to the valley of the Volga, southward to the shores of 

 the Mediterranean ; it is a regular winter visitor to Northern and North-eastern 

 Africa as far as Abyssinia, as well as to Arabia, Persia, Asia Minor, Palestine and 

 Greece : it is resident in the Canary Islands. 



In Great Britain this species is probably more abundant in the south and 

 south-west of England, but it is fairly common in suitable localities throughout 

 England and Wales ; in Scotland and Ireland it is less frequentl}' met with and 

 much more local. 



The adult Chiffchaff in spring plumage is olive-green above, the rump being 

 slightl}' yellower ; the wing and tail-feathers are brown, externally edged with 

 green ; the flights narrowl}' tipped with white ; a pale yellow superciliary streak 

 which becomes white behind the ear-coverts ; the lores and feathers behind the 

 eye olive; under surface of body white, slightly greyish on the breast and flanks, 

 and faintly washed throughout with greenish-yellow ; the axillaries, under wing- 

 coverts, and thighs yellow ; bill dark brown, feet blackish-brown, iris hazel. 

 After the autumn moult the entire plumage becomes suffused with buffish-yellow. 

 Young birds are somewhat greener than adults and have the superciliary streak 

 less defined. 



The song of the Chiffchaff, if such it can be called, must be familiar to 

 everj-one who has been in the country, or certainly to all inhabitants of our 

 southern counties. In the spring it is well-nigh impossible to ramble anywhere 

 near to a wood without hearing its incessant chilj-chij]', JtilJ-clnff, ckiff-chij}' (never 



