Abstract
The first banding record for Chiffchaff Phylloscopls collybita in Japan occurred on April 11, 1998 at the Hiikawa River, Shimane Prefecture, Japan Sea side of western Honshu. Chiffchaff breed mainly from Europe to eastern Siberia, and winter form southern Europeabd north-central Africa to India. Five subspecies are recognized, with P. c. tristis being the only one that breeds east of the Ural Mountains, and thus thought to be geographically isolated from the other subspecies. The first observation record of Chiffchaff (identified as subspecies tristis) in Japan was at Ishikawa Prefecture, central Honshu, in 1997. These records suggested that Chiffchaff, subspecies tristis occasionally wander into Japan.
