..The Chiffchaff..
The Chiffchaffs takes its name from its signature call: Chiff Chaff Chiff Chaff. Our breeding birds arrive from Southern Europe and Africa in late March and April and depart again in September.
In winter a small number of Chiffchaffs will arrive from Northern Europe to overwinter here however since they are a small inconspicuous bird and like to remain high in the tree canopy, and because they don't sing their usual song in winter it is hard to know whether they would be at Corkagh.
Chiffchaffs feed solely on insects so you would rarely see them at your bird table and since they prefer mature trees they are only an occasional visitor to gardens. While, the Chiffchaff prefers to feed on insects high up in the trees they make their nests in thick vegetation low to the ground. Sometimes no more than a foot or two. The males tend to arrive earlier than the females which allows them to establish their territory.
While the male is singing loudly to defend his territory the female builds the nest and feeds the nestlings alone. They can have two broods in a season and occasionally the male will have two mates with separate nests.
Once the young have achieved independence they forage about for food in order to build up the fat reserves necessary for the long journey south in September.
The young ones born at Corkagh will return to next spring but they rarely return to the location of their birth. However an adult male who has established a breeding territory at Corkagh will return next year is he survives.
The male and female are identical in appearance but only the male sings the familiar song.
