Willow warbler/Chiffchaff calls (2 Viewers)

[Andy Strachan]

How confident are you at identifying the very similar "huweet" calls of the chiffchaff and willow warbler?
I honestly haven't bothered to get into familiarising myself with the difference, as I've shrugged it off thinking that even if I did get ok at it, could I really tick it off with confidence without seeing the bird?
But maybe it's easier than I think. I've seen the youtube BTO video, and think I can hear a difference there.
If it's easier than I think, it's something I'll try and pick up because at the moment I'm rarely ticking these birds without seeing them. Even then it's not always easy!

 

[Richard D]

My hearing isn't good enough for me to be 100% confident but Willow generally sound like one long sound compared to two separate sounds to my ears. Willow are sadly relatively uncommon these days in my area of Kent, mainly seen/heard on passage.

 

[Farnboro John]

I'd have said the opposite, Chiffchaff has a single continuous hweet whereas Willow Warbler is a distinctly disyllabic hoo-weet.

John

 

[foresttwitcher]

I'd have said the opposite, Chiffchaff has a single continuous hweet whereas Willow Warbler is a distinctly disyllabic hoo-weet.

John

Just what I was thinking but lacked the confidence to answer...

 

[Larry Sweetland]

I used to be more confident that I could tell them apart on call than I am now. I now think they can vary too much for me to be sure.

 

[Ornitomania]

Here you can listen chiffchaff's typical call

 

[Ornitomania]

Instead, here you can admire the typical environment of Chiffchaff