| A member of the warbler family, the Blackcap is a warbler
has a distinctive black (male) or red-brown (female) cap from which it
gets its common name. It is slightly smaller than a House Sparrow, the
male, apart from its glossy black cap is greyish brown, lighter underneath
while the female is slighter browner with its chestnut cap. Juvenile birds
look similar to the female with brownish caps, blacker in young males and
yellowish in young females. Although blackcaps are summer visitors, increasing
numbers are over-wintering in Britain, mainly in England. Most of these
birds have migrated from northern and central Europe although they is a
small resident population. It is thought that the milder winters,the benefit
of avoiding the journey over the Alps to their normal wintering quarters
in southern Europe and North Africa and the advantage of returning to their
breeding grounds sooner than those that still migrate further south have
encouraged this. Birds that over-winter have taken to visiting gardens
as in these photographs taken in our own garden on the 27th December 2009.
These birds have adapted to utilising the different types of food available
in winter taking fat, bread, peanuts, cheese, porridge oats, potato and
coconut from garden feeders. Their more traditional diet is chiefly of
insects with berries also being taken in late summer and autumn. There
is also evidence that the Blackcaps that are over-wintering here in Britain
are developing changes in their wings and bills that reflect their shorter
flight routes and changed diets. They also tend to pair amongst themselves
rather than with the ones wintering further south.This has given rise to
the speculation that a new sub-species may evolve. Migratory birds arrive
back in Britain in April and May, leaving again in September and October
although we are also visited by migrating Blackcaps on their way south
to Spain and Portugal. Blackcaps are usually seen in areas with plenty
of trees and shrubs with the female building a neat cup nest in a hedge,
bush or brambles fairly low down. There are 1 or 2 clutches laid, usually
with 3 to 6 eggs,incubation is carried out by both parents and lasts for
11 to 12 days. The young fledge in 10 to 14 days. |
