Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)Where and when to see it in the UK
Status not yet classified · reporting peaks April · Leaf Warblers · BOU category A
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Chiffchaff has been recorded in 2,616 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (88%) in records to 2026. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in April.
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (IUCN Red List, NE)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 55% or more of visits
- High
- 34% to 55%
- Moderate
- 15% to 34%
- Low
- under 15%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8% | 4% | Low |
| February | 8% | 5% | Low |
| March | 58% | 32% | Moderate |
| April | 100% | 55% | Very high |
| May | 85% | 46% | Very high |
| June | 73% | 40% | Very high |
| July | 57% | 31% | Moderate |
| August | 56% | 31% | Moderate |
| September | 67% | 37% | Very high |
| October | 41% | 23% | Low |
| November | 15% | 8% | Low |
| December | 11% | 6% | Low |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in April
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C60 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C81 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D03 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H05 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H14 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H47 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H84 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H86 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HU15 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HU67 | Sea, off Shetland Islands | 100% | Very high |