Chiffchaff vs Willow Warbler: How to Tell Them Apart

The Chiffchaff resembles the Willow Warbler, but the legs are blacker, the wings stumpier, the body more compact and the head has a more circular shape. Adults and juvenile birds are similar; they're greyish-brown above, pale greyish underneath but with a yellow buffish tinge to the breast and throat, flight feathers are edged with yellow, the eye has a dark line through it and a pale strip above it, and the bill is narrow and pointed. Markings are dulled during the summer. Birds in their first winter appear more vivid than adults.

Breeding occurs in woodland, bushy areas with thick scrub and strong tree cover, though Chiffchaffs tend to avoid coniferous woods. Can be found in gardens and parkland during autumn and winter.

The call is an ascending 'hueet', and the song, known for its onomatopoeia, consists of repeated phrases such as 'chiff-chaff' or 'tsip-tsap'.

The Willow Warbler is slender with pale pinkish-yellow legs, a light-yellow strip over the eye and a dark strip through it. Adults are olive-green above, yellowish white underneath with a yellow throat; yellow markings pale through summer. Markings are more vivid than the Chiffchaff, and the primary feathers go further down the body. Juveniles resemble adults, but they're paler overall but a more distinct yellow underneath.

Breeding occurs in forests, immature woodland, margins of moorland, and scrub.

The Willow Warbler has a 'hueet' call, and a jangly, descending song that concludes with a flourish. The song is often repeated over and over during springtime.