Aberrant Chiffchaff, hybrid, mimic or something different (1 Viewer)

[pauldownes]

Hi All,

Hoping someone can shed some light on this song. I've seen and photographed the bird and for all intense and purpose it is a Chiffchaff, dark legs, dull in tones and follows other Chiffchaffs around. Its been holding territory in a North Herefordshire woodland since Saturday 5th and was still there on 9th when this was recorded.

It occasionally Chiffs, but not like a normal Chiffchaff does repetitively. Instead it comes out with a series of twitters and rattles. I've attached a short video link from my flickr account, where it is singing its short song with some regularity, best with the volume up as its recorded on a Galaxy mobile, as I wanted to at least get a record. I cannot find anything to match at present, even if it is a Chiffchaff where has it got this phrasing from?

Cheers for any help anyone can provide.
Paul

https://flic.kr/p/2qX74a2

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Paul,

thanks for joining Birdforum!
Thats an interesting bird and I cant give a definite/confident ID.

But it reminds me of an Iberian Chiffchaff, a vagrant to Britain.

I dont have enough experience with this species and there are mixed singers, 'hybrids' in the zone of contact with collybita, and 'mimic singers', that are muted to be birds from the eastern range of Chiffchaff.

But there are experts here on BF that can help here. Thanks from me too!

 

[Southern Viking]

It's not a classic Iberian Chiffchaff song although the rattle (which would be at the end of an Iberian Chiffchaff song) sounds similar. Sounds more like a bird that had spent some time with Iberian Chiffchaffs than the real deal, but then the taxonomy of them is trying to make black and white of a grey scenario

 

[delia todd]

Hi Paul and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. What a muddle LOL. Sorry I can't help. The only oddity I've had with them was one singing along the lines of "chiffchaff chaff chiff chav chav chav chiff chiff chav chav chiff". Apparently fairly normal I was told, but not heard that since LOL

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.