Chiffchaff

The Chiffchaff is a lively bird that feeds on insects in trees and bushes. Apart from breeding time it seems to be playfully quarrelsome as it constantly chases away other birds. Once a chiffchaff drove away a flock of great tits from the garden and often it has chased a great spotted woodpecker. As soon as the great spotted woodpecker sat on the tree branch, the chiffchaff again appeared expecting the woodpecker to take off. Such arrogance by a small bird embarrased the woodpecker and made it scream nervously.

The Chiffchaff has a distinctive song, a repeated monotonous "chiff-chaff" or "zip-zap", sometimes interspersed with a guttural "chirr-chirr". Pitch is sometimes higher, sometimes lower. Thanks to this distinctive song the Estonians call it "silksolk". It likes to sing high in a tree or a fir twitching its head according to the rhythm of the song.

The Chiffchaff is a migratory bird appearing here in the middle of April. The male birds arrive earlier than the female ones and choose the breeding territory chasing other male birds out of it. The female birds arrive about a week later. Mating ceremony of the Chiffchaff is peculiar, it is similar to the flight of a butterfly.

The female bird chooses the place for the nest and it builds it alone. Sometimes it simultaneously builds several nests but finishes only one of them. The male bird keeps watch of the female, sings and defends the territory. Only single males have been reported to have helped to build the nest. The nest is ball-shaped, closed at the top and opening for flying in and out on one side. There are dry stalks, mosses and leaves outside and plentiful feathers and hairs inside of the nest.

The eggs are white with dark brown pattern. The young are altricial and leave the nest at the age of two weeks. The Chiffchaff leaves Estonia in August or September.

The Chiffchaff is under protection.