Chiffchaff Song and Contact Call

[@wendymissons5667]

I have wondered for years what this particular bird call was: always from small trees, went on for hours, and I couldn't see the bird. Now I know - the chiffchaff! Thanks!

[@johnluk]

Thank you Wendy, that’s great to know!

[@karlasanders7263]

Me too! Finally today I was able to identify this bird after a long time wondering 😍🕊✨

[@liborsionko]

Me too. Most conspicuous yesterday on a walk. Both the call (like a human whistle to indicate 'over here! and the song. Loud little bird.

[@JAMALISACE]

ones here in uk sound like Guinea pigs 😂

[@andymitchell3592]

Thanks John 1 UK, that repetitive whistle sound has been driving me nuts for a few weeks now and I have just been able to identify it from your video. Most grateful!!

[@johnluk]

Thanks Andy, glad it helped, that's really good to hear. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.

[@marsha1963]

Thanks to your video I was able to identify the call I heard this morning, it was very close to me and got a glimpse of the bird through my binoculars.

[@johnluk]

That's great to hear Shalom. Sorry about the tardy reply, been down in the Somerset Levels. Not only is it 'where the cider apples grow' it is also where the mobile signal is rather poor.

[@marsha1963]

@@johnluk 👍ok.

[@patriot1151]

I just love the sound.

[@janicevango5791]

Oh my God, I love this bird! Only heard one cheeping away once last year, but it turned up this year (2023) on 31st March and have heard it every day.

[@johnluk]

That’s brilliant, I know Spring has arrived when I hear the first Chiffchaff!

[@gardentwitcheruk7076]

Some to listen out for, many thanks. I find it hard to remember bird songs.

[@johnluk]

Great to know you found it useful!

[@LoveBonsai902]

Thanks for identifying the lesser known simple contact call which I thought was a baby ChiffChaff answering a parent.👍

[@johnluk]

Thank you, great to hear it was helpful. 👍

[@knutfugl]

Truly an nice movie, John. Beautifully filmed. Two months, then it's here again, singing. Kind regards, Knut.

[@johnluk]

Thanks Knut! We usually see them here in mid-March but increasingly some are over-wintering. I’m sure I saw one today but will have to check when I upload the photo as it was against the light. Hope you have a good night. Kind regards, John.

[@knutfugl]

Thank you. ◕‿◕

[@johnluk]

It wasn’t a Chiffchaff but I have videoed one in January a few years ago.

[@johnluk]

It wasn’t a Chiffchaff when I checked but this is a video I made 7 years ago of a Chiffchaff in January! It was such a surprise. My kit then was a JVC Everio video camera. It was good in most circumstances but subject to lens aberration in some conditions. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnqkm6R-drd9g5o

[@knutfugl]

◕‿◕

[@bogdanploscar3150]

Wonderful video, many thanks! Wasn’t sure about the ‘contact call’, as I often spotted the bird when singing the characteristic and repetitive sequence ‘chiff-chaff’ and in other occasions only the monosyllabic contact call. Thought that might have been a different warbler. Now I know better!

[@johnluk]

Thank you so much Bogdan, great to know it’s proving useful!

[@sutats]

I would always jokingly cuss when I heard that comical birdsong on my walks but have never been able to identify the bird source, until now.

[@johnluk]

Thanks for letting me know. It will be about four months before we hear them again.

[@Roger49-x71]

I've been struggling to identify this birds call, the one starting 13 seconds in...I hadn't realised it was a chiffchaff🙄. Thank you so much.

[@johnluk]

So glad to hear it helped. Thank you for letting me know! 🙏

[@marklydon435]

Heard, but very hard to see with trees in full leaf, thanks.

[@johnluk]

You're right , there's many a time I've heard but failed to spot them. The worst one for that is the Garden Warbler which times their return to the U.K. a week or so after Willow trees come into leaf. At least Cettti's will sing in the Spring before the leaf cover makes them invisible!

[@Spiritueli]

hey, iam from central europe, and my chiffchaffs , i think they stay here during the winter too ...

[@johnluk]

Hi, welcome to my channel. That’s interesting. It seems like this is becoming a phenomenon across Europe caused by climate change. Last winter I saw some Chiffchaffs in a sewage works feeding on insects on the filter beds. I believe that Firecrest and Yellow-Browed Warblers have done this too. We’ve even had Swallows overwintering although this is very unusual.

[@patriot1151]

Absolutely love the sound of chiffchaffs.

[@johnluk]

Glad you liked it, thanks for letting me know!

[@cinziavannalchemy9413]

Così piccolo e carino! 😍 Il suo canto riempie di gioia! 🎵🐦🎶

[@johnluk]

Grazie Cinzia. Uno dei primi uccelli a tornare dall'Africa in primavera, ma ora ne restano alcuni tutto l'anno. Pensavo di averne sentito uno oggi! 🎵🐦🎶 Spero che anche tu abbia una buona notte! 🥰

[@cinziavannalchemy9413]

@@johnluk 😊😊😊

[@leonyblake1744]

Fantastic informative video. Thank you.

[@johnluk]

Thanks Leony! Really lovely to know you appreciated it.

[@macronencer]

This is a great video, thanks! However, I'm trying to identify by song a local bird here in Scotland. It's not a chiffchaff but is reminiscent of one. It's far less staccato, and has a swing to it, staying on a higher note for two beats, then back to a lower one for one beat, then repeating. Any ideas? Tentatively, it might be a coal tit - but the one I'm hearing is a slower song than the recordings of coal tits that I've found.

[@johnluk]

Thank you! Im sure you are a musician by your use of musical terminology.so forgive me if I’m way off with this suggestion because sadly I’m not! kzbin.info/www/bejne/p325ZGOOmN5ng5I

[@MrYorickJenkins]

I live in Germany and I am sure I hear this bird in autumn and winter-do some birds stay in Europe over winter?

[@johnluk]

Hi Yorick. Yes, although the majority of birds migrate there have been an increasing number who steal a march on the competition by braving our winters. Thanks for your comment, sorry it's taken so long to reply!

[@PSTWFB]

Dancing Mini Bird! Willow Warbler! Phylloscopus trochilus! kzbin.infooRRfmUfLXDA?feature=share

[@PSTWFB]

Dancing Mini Bird! Willow Warbler! Phylloscopus trochilus! kzbin.infooRRfmUfLXDA?feature=share

[@maihangstrawberry]

Hai loài chim đó khá giống nhau hả bạn ? Rất xinh xắn dễ thương. Cả giọng hót ríu rít cũng rất đáng yêu . Cái mỏ nhỏ và hai mắt rất dễ thương . T thích những loài chim nhỏ . 🙂💖

[@johnluk]

Những con chim thực sự là anh em họ và rất nhiều người cảm thấy bối rối khi nhìn thấy chúng, vì vậy video này nhằm giúp quyết định đó là loài nào! Bài hát là cách tốt nhất nếu bạn nghe nó! 🙂💖

[@JAMALISACE]

I keep hearing them n it sounds like someone's Guinea pig got loose 😂

[@johnluk]

It’s an unusual time of the year to hear them as of course they’ve usually finished defining and defending their territory by mid-August.

[@birdlover7690]

Very informative indeed

[@johnluk]

Thank you Kathleen!

[@birdlover7690]

Never knew that chiffchaffs had a singular note they repeated

[@birdlover7690]

@@johnluk are you on facebook

[@johnluk]

Yes.

[@johnluk]

Yes, they’re not the best singer in the bird world!