About the Eurasian Blackcap
The Eurasian blackcap is a bird usually known simply as the blackcap. It is a common and widespread warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences across 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 in some isolated areas, such as valleys in the Alps. The blackcap's closest relative is the garden warbler, which looks quite different but has a similar song.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The blackcap is a mainly grey warbler with distinct male and female plumages. The nominate subspecies is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long with a 7–8 cm (2.8–3.1 in) wing length. The weight is typically 16–25 g (0.56–0.88 oz), but can be up to 31 g (1.1 oz) for birds preparing to migrate. 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. Voice: The male's song is a rich musical warbling, often ending in a loud high-pitched crescendo, which is given in bursts of up to 30 seconds. The song is repeated for about two-and-a-half minutes, with a short pause before each repetition.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Eurasian Blackcap sounds like
Where the Eurasian Blackcap lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in India, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
When to see the Eurasian Blackcap
Peak activity in May · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Side by side: Eurasian Blackcap vs Garden Warbler
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