Chiffchaff with pale yellow flanks?

[Deb London]

One of the Chiffchaffs I saw recently had two pale yellow streaks on its flanks (I am assuming Chiffchaff). It had quite a strong supercillium. Scanning the web I think it looked most like this:

Google Images

Is this unusual or just part of the spectrum for Chiffchaff plumage?

Thanks for any information.

[Dogghound]

Hard to say without seeing it but it could be that you have seen a freshly moulted bird, or a juvenile which tend to be more white until they do their post juvenile moult into 1st winter plumage.

[Deb London]

Thanks Dan, might have been a juvenile, it was very neat-looking. Never seen the yellow streak thing before, but then again, I don't see too many Chiffchaffs this close up.

[Dogghound]

Are these yellow streaks on the body or on the wing? Was it quite bright? could it have been a willow warbler? As I am sure you appreciate these birds are hard to ID from photo's so a description is pure guess work.

[Deb London]

Just been looking at Roy's old thread and it looked a bit like the Iberian Chiffchaff (I'm not saying it was this, just that it had this yellow streak).

Warbler-2 - Wild About Britain Pics

The yellow was on both sides. A bit more obvious than in Roy's picture.

The colours where a bit more interesting than other Chiffchaffs I've see. The breast and what I could see of the belly were a warm buff colour.

It was in a flock of Long-tailed Tits.

I should have noted the cheeks, and the wings (couldn't see the legs). I can't say it wasn't a Willow Warbler. Another that got away I'm afraid.

[RoyW]

The extent and intensity of the yellow on the underparts is very variable in most types of Chiffchaff (+ Willow Warbler).
Juvenile Willow Warblers tend to have the most yellow, often relatively uniform yellow underparts, and some northern and eastern Chiffchaffs have none, but otherwise pretty much anything goes!

[Deb London]

Thanks Roy.