17-3-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN BLACKCAP (FEMALE) (Sylvia atricapilla)

The Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is a common and widespread warbler that breeds in much of Europe, western Asia, and northwestern Africa. Its rich and varied song has led to the blackcap being described as the "mock nightingale" and it has been featured in literature, films, and music.

The Eurasian blackcap is mainly grey in color with distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has olive-grey upperparts, other than a paler grey nape and a neat black cap on the head. The underparts are light grey, becoming silvery white on the chin, throat, and upper breast. The tail is dark grey, with an olive tint to the outer edge of each feather. The bill and long legs are grey, and the iris is reddish brown. The female resembles the male but has a reddish-brown cap and a slightly browner tone to the grey of the upperparts. Juveniles are similar to the female, but their upperparts have a slight rufous tinge, and the breast and flanks have a more olive tone; young males have darker brown cap than their female counterparts.

Population size

101-161 Mlnlnn

Life Span

2-13 years

Top speed

75

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

16-25

goz

g oz 

Length

13-14

cminch

cm inch 

Eurasian blackcaps breed in much of Europe, western Asia, and northwestern Africa. They are partial migrants; birds from the colder areas of their range winter in northwestern Europe, around the Mediterranean, and in tropical Africa. Some German birds have adapted to spending the winter in gardens in Great Britain and Ireland. Eurasian blackcaps breed in mature deciduous woodlands, with good scrub cover below the trees, and may also be found in parks, large gardens, and overgrown hedges. The preferred winter habitat around the Mediterranean is scrub and olive orchards, while in Africa they occur in cultivated land, acacia scrub, mangroves, and forest.

Eurasian blackcaps are very active birds. They are usually found singly but may form loose groups during migration. They feed by the day mainly picking prey off foliage and twigs, but may occasionally hover, flycatch or feed on the ground. Blackcaps eat a wide range of small fruit and squeeze out any seeds on a branch before consuming the pulp. They defend good winter food sources, and at garden feeding stations they don't hesitate to repel competitors as large as starlings and blackbirds. Eurasian blackcaps are known for their beautiful loud song. The males' song is a rich musical warbling, often ending in a loud high-pitched crescendo, which is given in bursts of up to 30 seconds. In some geographically isolated areas, such as islands, peninsulas, and valleys in the Alps, males sing a simpler fluting song. The main call of Eurasian blackcaps is a hard 'tac-tac', like stones knocking together, and other vocalizations include a squeaking sweet alarm, and a low-pitched trill. Blackcaps may sometimes mimic the song of other birds, especially preferring to copy the garden warbler and the common nightingale.

Eurasian blackcaps are monogamous and form pairs. They breed between mid-April and August. When males return to their breeding areas, they establish a territory by singing loudly while displaying with the crown raised, tail fanned, and slow wingbeats. This display is followed, if necessary, by a chase, often leading to a fight. A male then attracts a female to his territory through song and a display involving raising the black crown feathers, fluffing the tail, slow wingbeats, and a short flapping flight. He also builds one or more simple nests (cock nests), usually near his songpost. The final nest, which may be one of the cock nests or built from scratch, is a neat cup of roots, stems, and grasses lined with fine material such as hair. The nest is typically built in the cover of bramble, scrubs, or trees. It is constructed mainly by the female and may be between 1-4.5 m (3.3-15 ft) above the ground. The clutch is typically 4-6 eggs, which are usually buff with grey and brown blotches and a few dark brown spots. The eggs are incubated for 10-16 days by both parents. Males will sometimes sing even when incubating and this may also be intended to maintain the bond with the female. The chicks are altricial, hatching naked and with closed eyes, and are fed by both parents. They fledge about 11-12 days after hatching, leaving the nest shortly before they are able to fly. They are assisted with feeding for a further 2 or 3 weeks. If the nest is threatened, the non-incubating bird gives an alarm call so that the sitting parent and chicks stay still and quiet. A male blackcap may mob a potential predator, or try to lure it away with disjointed runs and flaps on the ground. Young Eurasian blackcaps usually start to breed when they are one year old.