Sylvia atricapilla (BIS-Fogo)

Sylvia atricapilla

Summary ⁸

The Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) usually known simply as the blackcap, is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences between the five subspecies are small. Both sexes have a neat coloured cap to the head, black in the male and reddish-brown in the female. The male's typical song is a rich musical warbling, often ending in a loud high-pitched crescendo, but a simpler song is given...

Taxon biology ⁹

Only male blackcaps live up to their name, with their black caps. Females have brown caps. They are an extremely numerous breeding bird in the Netherlands. They make their nests mostly in deciduous forests, but are also found in large gardens and parks. They will even nest in the dunes if the trees are tall enough. In the winter, they migrate to the south, although the group that stays in the Netherlands is growing. It saves energy and they profit from the proliferous bird feeding tables. In addition, they are the first ones around to find the best nesting areas.