The Common Chiffchaff's song is one of the most recognisable in Swedish nature: a monotonous, mechanically alternating "tjif-tjaf-tjif-tjaf" repeated in irregular rhythm and without end. The notes are almost exactly the same in pitch but can vary in order — sometimes "tjaf-tjif" — which makes the melody distinctive but never tiresome. The English name "chiffchaff" is a direct imitation of the song.
The Common Chiffchaff is one of the birds that sing for the most hours per day. The male begins the song period shortly after arriving at the end of March and continues into July, with the emphasis on the early morning hours but with song activity throughout the day in clear weather. The song post is preferably a half-transparent tangle of branches in a medium-height tree.
The contact call is a distinct, sharp an