[Gallus]

I Found this Juvenile sitting on my doorstep I thought was a Chiffchaff can anyone help with identification.
P S, the bird flew away shortly after i had taken the picture

[Grousemore]

I'd say Willow Warbler.

[Nina P]

Looks Like a juvenile Willow warbler to me, and what a cutie.

[Bluetail]

Being that bright it would have to be a Willow, I think - quite apart from the feet being too pale for Chiffchaff.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I'll go for Willow Warbler too.

[Joern Lehmhus]

Willow warbler for me too-due to the reasons Jason mentioned.

Jörn

[Jane Turner]

Well just to be different - the face pattern and head-shape is much more Chiff... the dark upper ear coverts and strong contrast with the lower eyering. Its a freshly fledged bird so I'm not worried about the yellow... would of course be so much more certain from behind!

[Motmot]

Fully agree with Jane, that head is very chiffchaffy. Can't see the feet well, but chiffchaff has yellow-orangey "soles" (not sure if that's the correct word for it ).

[Jane Turner]

Well at least I'm no a lone voice now!

Here is something from another thread on Willie v Chiffer - on the difference in facial pattern.

In addition to a more prominent (esp longer supercilium, on Willow warbler there is usually a dark and fine eyestripe and though the highest ear coverts are often quite dark, the lower ones are usually quite pale.., sometimes with quite a demarcation. On Chiffchaff the earcoverts are more uniformly dark, and that dark region is deep enough to surround the eye, making the lower part of the eyering stand out more....sometimes as prominently as the supercilium.

Willow Warbler often appears to have a slightly smaller eye in relation the the size of the bird and a slightly flatter crown, though both these features are affected by viewing angle etc.



http://www.birdforum.net/attachment....achmentid=7647

WW on left, Chiff on right.

[godwit]

I agree with much of what Jane and Motmot have written about the head pattern but I think young Willow Warblers can perhaps look like this and don't think Chiffchaffs can ever appear so intensely yellow below. Another pic, preferably in profile would clinch it.

Dave

[mike coleman]

Just to throw a different slant on the ID, Gallus lives in the Highlands, where there are next to zero Chiffchaffs (unless it is along the Moray or West coasts). Out of sheer probability, not even looking at the photo, I'm going for WW!

[Gallus]

Hi all many thanks for your replys only managed a frontal photo of the bird so I have no additional identification aids I live on the west coast of Scotland and do have a few Chiffchaffs in the area my house is situated on the edge of moorland with woods close by I will just call this chap cutie.
Gallus