Common chiffchaff see", since this genus comprises species that spend much of their time feeding in trees, while "collybita" is a corruption of "kollubistes", "money changer", the song being likened to the jingling of coins. The common chiffchaff is a small, dumpy, 10–12 centimetres (4 in) long leaf warbler. The male weighs 7–8 grammes (0.28–0.31 oz), and the female 6–7 grammes (0.25–0.28 oz). The spring adult of the western nominate subspecies " P. c. collybita" has brown-washed dull green upperparts, off-white underparts becoming yellowish on the flanks, and a short whitish supercilium. It has dark legs, a fine dark bill, and short
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