The Canary Islands chiffchaff (''Phylloscopus canariensis'') is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of leaf warbler

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. Sometimes the English name is spelled Canary Island chiffchaff.

Taxonomy

Previously the Canary Island chiffchaff was considered as a

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of the

common chiffchaff The common chiffchaff (''Phylloscopus collybita''), or simply the chiffchaff, is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds in open woodlands throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic. It is a bird migration, migratory ...

(''Phylloscopus collybita''). Now it is recognised as a separate

under the name ''Phylloscopus canariensis''.

Subspecies

There are two recognised subspecies but the Lanzarote subspecies is probably extinct; they are: * Western Canary Islands chiffchaff (''Phylloscopus canariensis canariensis''): western Canary Islands:

El Hierro El Hierro (), nicknamed ''Isla del Meridiano'' (the "Meridian Island"), is the farthest south and west of the Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain), in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, with a population of 11,659 (2023). ...

La Palma La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and historically San Miguel de La Palma, is the most northwesterly island of the Canary Islands, a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. La Pa ...

La Gomera La Gomera () is one of Spain's Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. With an area of , it is the third-smallest of the archipelago's eight main islands. It belongs to the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. La Gomer ...

Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...

, and

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, a Spain, Spanish archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa. the island had a population of that constitut ...

* † Eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff (''Phylloscopus canariensis exsul''): eastern Canary Islands:

Lanzarote Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the islands in the archipelago. With 163,230 inhabi ...

and possibly

Fuerteventura Fuerteventura () is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, geographically part of Macaronesia, and politically part of Spain. It is located away from the coast of North Africa. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO i ...

Description

The Canary Islands chiffchaff is similar to the

and the Iberian chiffchaff but compared to the common chiffchaff it has a longer bill, shorter wings and a longer tail. Its underparts have a brownish-buff tone, especially on the flanks and breast, and the upperparts are darker brown than the common chiffchaff.

Voice

Many calls are similar to the common chiffchaff but the song lacks the metronomic quality of that species and is harsher, shorter and more varied and with a faster delivery.

Habitat

The Canary Islands chiffchaff occurs in most habitats from coastal gardens to high altitude vegetation but is absent from semi-desert scrub at lower altitudes.

Habits

In the breeding period, January to June, the Canary Islands chiffchaff is territorial and is found singly or in pairs, the nest is a spherical structure with a side entrance and is placed near the ground in coastal scrub but higher (8m plus) up in the

laurisilva Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and el ...

. The clutch is 2-5 eggs and most pairs are triple brooded. When not breeding in the autumn and winter they are more sociable, forming small flocks. The post-breeding moult is usually completed by late July. The Canary Islands chiffchaff spends much of its time foraging for its insect food among foliage from ground level up to the tree canopy, although it will also sometimes hover, glean and fly catch. It is an active little bird with quick and frenzied movements, frequently flicking its wings and wagging or flicking its tail.

References

External links

Recordings of the Canary Islands chiffchaff at Xeno-Canto
{{Taxonbar, from=Q608804 Phylloscopus Birds of the Canary Islands Endemic fauna of the Canary Islands Birds described in 1886 Endemic birds of Spain