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BTO Blueline
CHIFFCHAFF
Phylloscopus collybita
Chiffchaff © Tommy Holden
 
Conservation listings
Europe: no SPEC category (favourable conservation status in Europe, not concentrated in Europe)
UK: Green
Long-term trend
UK, England: shallow increase
Distribution maps
Maps and statistics from British and Irish
atlases can be viewed here.
Status summary
Chiffchaff abundance crashed in the late 1960s/early 1970s in common with that of other trans-Saharan warblers (Siriwardena et al. 1998a). After remaining stable for a decade, the population recovered strongly, and has continued to increase. This recovery is evident from both CBC/BBS and CES data. Climate change may partially explain the trend towards earlier laying (Crick & Sparks 1999). However, overwinter survival may be the critical factor responsible for changes in abundance, as it is for Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler.
 
CBC/BBS UK graph
 
Table of population changes in Chiffchaff
Source Period
(yrs)		 Years Plots
(n)		 Change
(%)		 Lower
limit		 Upper
limit		 Alert Comment
CBC/BBS UK 35 1967-2002 343 20 -1 58    
  25 1977-2002 438 118 83 172    
  10 1992-2002 898 36 25 48    
  5 1997-2002 1203 15 11 20    
CBC/BBS England 35 1967-2002 297 25 4 63    
  25 1977-2002 377 129 93 182    
  10 1992-2002 770 38 28 50    
  5 1997-2002 1021 17 13 22    
CES adults 18 1984-2002 63 143 . .    
  10 1992-2002 75 58 . .    
  5 1997-2002 76 34 . .    
CES juveniles 18 1984-2002 74 138 . .    
  10 1992-2002 90 57 . .    
  5 1997-2002 93 34 . .    
BBS UK 9 1994-2003 978 46 38 55    
BBS England 9 1994-2003 828 46 38 55    
BBS Wales 9 1994-2003 100 46 23 73    
BBS acknowledgement
 
CBC/BBS England graph
CES adult abundance graph
CES juvenile abundance
BBS UK graph
BBS England graph
BBS Wales graph
 
Table of productivity information for Chiffchaff
Variable Period
(yrs)		 Years Mean
annual
sample		 Trend Predicted
in first year		 Predicted
in last year		 Change Comment
Clutch size 34 1968-2002 26 None       Small sample
Brood size 34 1968-2002 29 Linear decline 5.12 chicks 4.78 chicks -0.34 chicks Small sample
Daily failure rate (eggs) 34 1968-2002 33 None        
Daily failure rate (chicks) 34 1968-2002 29 None       Small sample
Laying date 34 1968-2002 39 Curvilinear day 135 day 121 -14 days  
Percentage juveniles (CES) 18 1984-2002 83 Smoothed trend 111 productivity index 102 productivity index -10%  
Percentage juveniles (CES) 10 1992-2002 98 Smoothed trend 111 productivity index 102 productivity index -10%  
Percentage juveniles (CES) 5 1997-2002 100 Smoothed trend 106 productivity index 102 productivity index -6%  
 
Clutch size graph
Brood size graph
Egg nest failure graph
Chick nest failure graph
Laying date graph
CES productivity graph
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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Crick, H.Q.P., Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Coombes, R.H.,
Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. (2005)
Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2004.
BTO Research Report No. 385. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 18 January, 2006