Tolka River Valley Park
Finglas-Cabra
Dublin Ireland
Scientific classification
Domain:Eukaryota
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Sylviidae
Genus:Sylvia
Species:S. atricapilla
Binomial name
Sylvia atricapilla
[group] Old World warblers | [order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Sylviidae | [latin] Sylvia atricapilla | [UK] Blackcap | [FR] Fauvette a tete noire | [DE] Monchs-Grasmucke | [ES] Curruca Capirotada | [NL] Zwartkop | [IRL] Caipín dubh
Measurements
spanwidth min.: 15 cm
spanwidth max.: 17 cm
size min.: 11 cm
size max.: 13 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 11 days
incubation max.: 12 days
fledging min.: 10 days
fledging max.: 12 days
broods 2
eggs min.: 3
eggs max.: 6
Status: Scarce summer visitor to woodlands in the midlands and northern Ireland from April to September. Also a scarce passage migrant mainly in spring and autumn to headlands on southern and western coasts. Although Irish-breeding Blackcaps still migrate southwards in the autumn, some Blackcaps from the population that breeds in Central Europe migrate to Ireland to spend the winter.
Conservation Concern: Green-listed in Ireland. The European population is considered to be Secure.
Identification: About the same size as a Robin. Adult male Blackcaps have a distinct black cap, covering most of the head. The rest of the body is a rather grey-colour, while the vent is white. Adult female Blackcaps have pale brown cap, similar in extent to that of the male. The rest of the body is grey-brown, not as dark as the male.
Similar Species: Other Warblers.
Call: A hard "teck", frequently given in a long series. Also infrequently gives a "yu-teck" call. The song is one of the most beautiful songs of all Irish songbirds. It is a rich, melodic series of notes ending in an ecstatic series of flute-like notes.
Diet: Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates during the summer. In winter, takes berries (Ivy, Rowan), as well as scraps from bird tables. Will use peanut feeders.
Breeding: Widespread in lowlands throughout Ireland. Breeds in dense decidous woodlands and in mature hedgerows.
Wintering: The majority of the Irish population migrate south to winter in Iberia and North Africa. There is a small wintering population, mainly in the east and south of Ireland. Recoveries of ringed Blackcaps have shown that the majority of these wintering birds originate from Central Europe.
Where to See: Common and widespread in Ireland. In winter, Blackcaps are attracted to apples and fat balls in gardens.
Physical characteristics
Quite large and robust warbler, with rather long wings and legs but rather short tail. Essentially dusky-brown above, pale grey below, lacks white on tail-edges, and marked only by diagnostic short cap - black on male, brownish on female and immature. Sexes dissimilar, no seasonal variation.
Habitat
Breeds throughout middle latitudes of west Palearctic in temperate, boreal, and mediterranean climates, oceanic as well as continental. Highly arboreal, preferring to forage and sing in crowns of trees, often in more or less mature forest, although requiring also tall, not too dense shrubby undergrowth, especially for nesting.
Other details
Sylvia atricapilla is a widespread breeder across much of Europe, which constitutes >75% of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is extremely large (>25,000,000 pairs), and was stable between 1970-1990. The species underwent a slight increase overall during 1990-2000, with almost all national trends either stable or increasing, including those of key populations in France, Germany, Italy and Russia.
Feeding
Chiefly insects in breeding season, mainly plant material at other times. in breeding season, mainly picks insects from leaves and twigs, at heights of up to 20 m, not significantly different from feeding height of Garden Warbler.
Breeding
Breeds May-Jun in West and North-West Europe, May-July in Finland, Mid April to late July in South West Germany, mid April in South of France, end August to end November in Cape Verde. Nest site is built in low brambles, shrubs, and trees, on branch or among trunk suckers. Less often in creepers, tall herbs, or ferns.
Nest is a finely-constructed cup, often with transparent walls and or bottom, of grass and herb stems and leaves, plus rootlets and small twigs, bound together with spiders webs and cocoons, lined with finer grasses, rootlets, and hair. 4-6 eggs are laid, incubation 10-16 days, by both parents.