Iberian Chiffchaff

Photo by hopires
Tagus Estuary, Portugal, September 2005

Phylloscopus ibericus

Identification

11–12 cm, 4.3-4.7 inches. 7–8·25 g, 0.24 -0.29 oz

Adult

• Pale supercilium tinged yellowish-green with more lemon yellow over and in front of eye
• Narrow but quite distinctive pale eyering
• Contrasting dark eyestripe
• Green-brown cheek and ear-coverts
• Crown and upperparts yellowish olive-green, in fresh autumn plumage crown and mantle sometimes with brown hue
• Remiges and rectrices brown, fringed pale olive-green
• Whitish below
• Breast streaked with yellow
• Lemon-yellow vent and sometimes paler undertail-coverts
• Underwing-coverts and axillaries lemon-yellow (usually protruding visibly at bend of closed wing)
• Iris dark brown
• Beak dark brown to black
• Legs dark brown to black

Juvenile

• Upperparts yellowish-brown
• Underparts yellow and slightly richer yellow than on juvenile Common Chiffchaff

• A thread discussing the ID of Iberian Chiffchaff [[1]]

Distribution

Found mainly in Spain and Portugal. A small population in adjacent south-western France.

A small population occurs in the north of Morocco especially in the eastern Rif montains areas. Unfortunatly no scientific studies have been carried out to evaluate the status of the Moroccan population.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Two subspecies recognized^[1]:

• P. i. biscayensis in northern Portugal, northern Spain and France
• P. i. ibericus in central and southern Portugal and south-western Spain
  

Has been considered conspecific with Common Chiffchaff in the past.

Habitat

Breeds mainly in hilly areas in Mediterranean scrub with kermes and Portugese oak and in open forest of mixed oaks and sweet chestnut with a healthy layer of cistus scrub. Above the tree line, it is found in mixed scrub and open heath. Though to also breed at lower levels in riverine woodland with willow, where many over-winter. Winters also in Mediterranean coastal maquis, tamarisk stands, acacias and sparse woodland.

Behaviour

Diet

Little known. In Portugal, recorded as hovering while sipping nectar of blue gum trees. Diet and foraging behaviour probably very similar to Common Chiffchaff

Breeding

Laying from mid-April to the end of May. Lays 4–5 eggs, sometimes 6. Breeding behaviour probably very similar to Common Chiffchaff

Vocalisation

Contact call a whistled “piu” or “pew” with downward inflection, similar in tone to contact call of Eurasian Bullfinch, in autumn has short, shrill “peep”, “seep” or “weep”, like that of subspecies abietinus and tristis of Common Chiffchaff. Song a hesitant repetition of rising and falling notes, slower than that of similar species Common Chiffchaff, “chi chi chi tchui tchui tchui tchu tchu tchu”, with descending tones of triplets and usually given at an inreasingly faster pace. Breeding birds may give an additional dry “chep” or “jep” at the start. Some in the north of it's range (Pyrenees) give “mixed” songs incorporating segments of Common Chiffchaff song, but usually still closer to normal song for the species. High percentage of males react to songs of Common Chiffchaff (but not reciprocated) and Canary Islands Chiffchaff. Females largely ignore the song of the Common Chiffchaff, whereas females of latter species react strongly to songs of males of their Iberian cousins.

<flashmp3>Iberienzilpzalp.mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
Recording by wintibird, Switzerland, April 2010

Movement

Migratory. Non-breeding range not fully known. Majority thought to migrate to tropical West Africa, where they have been recorded in winter in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. A passage migrant through Morocco from late February to mid-April. Many are trapped on spring and autumn passages in Mauritania. More widely recorded in non-breeding season throughout northwest Africa (mainly Tunisia), but the exact number is uncertain due to confusion with wintering Common Chiffchaff. Many of those breeding in Iberia and southwest France are thought to move short distances to lower levels, usually in valleys and along Mediterranean coast. Uncertainty is caused by wintering Common Chiffchaff and a lack of winter specimens from the Iberian peninsular. Vagrant to Britain, Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2016)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Iberian Chiffchaff. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Iberian_Chiffchaff

External Links

Search for photos of Iberian Chiffchaff in the gallery