• Photo gallery

See also:

• Issues with photographs of 'Siberian Chiffchaffs'
• Colour-corrected images of specimens from 'Siberian Chiffchaff revisited'

The images of 'Siberian Chiffchaffs' here have been taken 'in the hand' or objectively assessed by the photographers as matching the basic appearance of the bird 'in the field'. Apart from the Portland individual photographed in April, all others are either fresh or not unduly affected by moult or wear. The images were taken in various months and are arranged chronologically, from September, through the winter and spring, and up to June i.e. a seasonal 'cross-section'. They were taken on the breeding grounds in Siberia (1), the wintering grounds in India (1), on migration in China (1), on migration in Central Asia (2), and in the UK (4, including 2 images of the individual at Portland). I thank the photographers (column 4) for providing these instructive images.

Photo gallery

Siberian Chiffchaffs

Chiffchaffs with 'fulvescens' traits

For comparison, images of two Chiffchaffs with predominantly tristis-like appearance but with evident 'fulvescens' traits are included below. Both have yellowish-olive fringes to remiges and rectrices, similarly-coloured streaking in wing-coverts and / or scapulars, and a yellow tinge to upper eye-ring and supercilium. Compare these images with those of 'classic' tristis in the series above. See main text for discussion of the appearance and possible of origins of 'fulvescens'-style Chiffchaffs.