by Christopher Chatterton

Created on: October 15, 2009   Last Updated: October 17, 2009

The distinctive looking Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) takes its name from the black feathers that adorn the top of its head. A member of the Sylviidae family, the Blackcap is a warbler and produces one of the most melodic songs in the bird world. In summer, the smooth and musical sound of the Blackcap's song, a mixture of rich clear notes with a varying tempo, can be heard from garden parks to woodland rides.

The Blackcap is quite large for a passerine bird, and at 13cm in length is slightly smaller than a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). It has the characteristic sleek body and head of a warbler and its song is similar to that of the Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin), but has more obvious phrases and is more frantic. Its call is also a more distinctive hard 'tack', coupled with a grating 'churr'. Occasionally, the Blackcap may also mimic the songs and calls of other birds (Holden & Cleeves, 2002).

Identification

The male is predominantly grey in colour with grey-brown upper feathers, with ash-grey under parts. The telltale blackcap extends from the base of its beak to the back of its head and drops to eye level. The back of the neck and face are also ash-grey in colour.

The female is generally browner above and brow-grey below with a reddish-brown cap. During their first winter, most male birds resemble the female, only developing the first signs of black feathers towards the end of winter in time for spring and the breeding season (Holden & Cleeves, 2002).

Habits

The blackcap is quite a cryptic bird, preferring to hide in thick brambles and other dense vegetative cover. If startled it will greet intruders with the typical 'tack-tack' response, which sounds a bit like two stones being struck together (Burton, 1981). The Blackcap can be a serene bird but also has a bit of a reputation for being a bit naughty, developing an aggressive posture towards other small birds. This is especially true in winter when a skirmish may brake out during feeding at bird tables frequented by other birds (Holden & Cleeves, 2002).

Courting males will also assume bizarre postures when attempting to attract the female. These include raising the cap feathers in to a sort of Mohican, drooping their wings and spreading their tail feathers (Burton, 1981).

Habitat

In some areas of Britain Blackcaps can be found all year round, except for mid-Wales, the Pennine district of England, and central and Western Scotland. During the summer months, Blackcaps live in deciduous or mixed

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