Listening for Chiffchaffs

I consider Spring to have arrived when I hear my first chiffchaff. They are small, easy to miss, light brown birds - and their two-toned song, which sounds like their name - is a joyful background sound in many outdoor spaces. I heard my first one yesterday!

Chiffchaffs arrive back to the UK in Spring from their Winter travels to the Mediterranean and North Africa. They don’t tend to visit bird feeders but can be spotted hopping about in branches looking for spiders and insects to eat. Their nests, made our of leaves and stems and lined with feathers, are on or near the ground, in spaces protected by nettles and brambles.

Studies prove that the sound of birdsong settles our nervous system and help us to relax, something we have kept from our long-ago days when we would have lived outside. Birdsong would have been a clear signal to our ancestors that the area was free from predators - birds tend to go silent when they approach.

You can listen to chiff chaff song here.

If you are looking to build your nature ID skills, and find out more about promoting nature connection with others, you may be interested in our Forest School Leader training which covers this and more. You can find out more here.

Wem x