Common chiffchaff one of the first avian signs that spring has returned. Its call is a "hweet", less disyllabic than the "hooeet" of the willow warbler or "hu-it" of the western Bonelli's warbler. The song differs from that of the Iberian chiffchaff, which has a shorter . However, mixed singers occur in the hybridisation zone and elsewhere, and can be difficult to allocate to species. When not singing, the common chiffchaff can be difficult to distinguish from other leaf warblers with greenish upperparts and whitish underparts, particularly the willow warbler. However, that species has a longer primary projection, a sleeker, brighter appearance
The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds a field guide with the text and distribution maps opposite the illustrations.” A second updated and reorganised 360-page edition was issued by New Holland Publishers in 2009. It has 64 new or revised colour plates, incorporating all the new birds recorded in Australia since 1986. The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds is one of the main national bird field guides used by Australian birders. The guide was first published in 1986 in Sydney by Rigby Publishers and authored by Peter Slater and other members of his family. It is 215 mm high