Phylloscopus collybita

The Common Chiffchaff is classified as a Vulnerable (VU) because of the small size of its breeding populations, estimated at less than 50 adult birds, combined with a regional adjustment for the fact that the population breeding on Mt. Hermon is a marginal population at the edge of the global range of the species. In the previous edition of the Red Book (2002) the Common Chiffchaff was not listed, as it was discovered breeding on Mt. Hermon only in summer 2013.

Habitats	Mediterranean Maquis
Presence In Israel	Summer Breeder, Winter Visitor, Migrant
Nesting In Israel	Breeder
Migration Types	Long Range
Zoography Zones	Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian
Landscape Formations	Mountainous
Vegetation Formations	Forest
Vegetation Densities	High
Nest Locations	Tree
Diet Types	Invertebrate
Foraging Grounds	Trees and Shrubs
Body Sizes	Small (up to 500g)
Threat Factors	Unknown

The Common Chiffchaff is a slender, small greenish-brown insectivorous bird that inhabits thickets. It has dark brown upper parts, a white belly, black legs and a light yellowish eyebrow (supercilium), over a black eye-stripe. It spends all its time in trees and shrubs and is difficult to observe. Their loud whistling calls give their location away in forests and woodlands.

A common passage migrant and winter visitor throughout Israel. In recent years they have been found breeding on the Mt. Hermon slopes, in areas with well-developed Mediterranean woodland, at altitudes of 1,300 meters. An estimated 20 to 40 pairs breed on Mt. Hermon (Israeli & Perlman 2013).

No specific conservation measures have been taken for this species to date.

• ישראלי, נ. ופרלמן, י. 2013. סיכום סקר עופות מקננים בחרמון. דו"ח מרכז הצפרות של החברה להגנת הטבע.
• פז, ע. 1986. עופות. מתוך אלון, ע. (עורך), החי והצומח של ארץ ישראל. כרך 6. הוצאת משרד הביטחון, ישראל.

• Shirihai, H., 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.
• Symes, A. 2013. Species generation lengths. Unpublished, BirdLife International.
• Species page at Birdlife International