All About Blackcaps - Blackcap Bird Facts & Information

About Blackcap Garden Birds

The Eurasian Blackcap (sylvia atricapilla) is a common garden Warbler is an olive grey colour with a lighter grey belly, this grey warbler are best known for their coloured distinctive cap, which as the name suggests, on the males is black. The Blackcap is easily confused for the Marsh Tit and the Willow Tit.

This Blackcap is affectionately known as the 'northern nightingale' because of its fluttering song. These summer visitors find themselves and their well known 'Blackcap song' being a popular part of literature, films and music.

Since the 1970s, the Blackcaps have steadily increased in numbers, as well as increasing their breeding range throughout Northern Scotland and Ireland.

Often seen on garden feeding stations, these birds regularly visit gardens for food and shelter during the warmer weather.

Do Blackcap birds migrate?

Yes, Blackcaps are just summer visitors and they migrate from Germany and North East Europe around March to April every year. Heading back to their wintering grounds in Autumn.

However, in recent years, the Blackcap have turned into wintering birds in the UK and numbers using British gardens during the colder months has increased.

This could be for many reasons, but experts think that it is likely due to the abundance of bird food provided in bird feeders and climate change leading to milder winters, both of these factors mean that it is easier for the Blackcap to survive.

What Does the Male Blackcap Look Like?

Coming in at around 21 grams in weight, male Blackcaps are a similar size to the Robin. With brown and dark grey bodies and a thin, black beak - these birds are only easily recognised by one feature: the male Blackcap has a black cap on the top of its head.

For females and Juvenile Blackcaps, the cap on the top of their head is a chestnut brown cap.

Where do Blackcaps live?

Across the UK, Blackcaps are widespread - with the only place they are not found being Scotland Highlands. These birds are primarily found in woodland and tall scrub - especially when they were just a summer visitor.

As the weather has got warmer during the winter, the Blackcap ventured into urban and suburban areas as the weather is a few degrees warmer, and there is an abundance of food with bird feeders in peoples gardens.

How long do Blackcaps live?

In the UK, the average lifespan for the Blackcap is 2 years and with 36% of juvenile birds not making it through the first year, these birds have to face a lot of challenges.

Some Blackcaps do live longer - the oldest of this species on record was in the Czech Republic, where a Blackcap lived just over 13 years.

Blackcap Breeding Season

The breeding birds arrive in the UK in the spring. To find a mate, the male Blackcaps attract females to the breeding grounds territory with extravagant songs, Ariel displays including puffing out his feathers, and building multiple simple nests. Once a pair has formed, they are usually monogamous and will stay together for the whole season.

The female will build the final nest, this will either be working on one of the nests the male has made or she will start from scratch. Blackcaps nesting habitat is in shrubs, trees and brambles and their nesting material is roots, stems and grasses.

Typically, the female will lay a clutch of four to six eggs and both the male and female medium sized warbler will look after the eggs during the incubation period, however, only the female will incubate at night.

Once hatched, the parents have to feed and care for the chicks in the nest for around 11 days. Once they fledge, these young Blackcaps, recognised by their gingery brown cap, still need assistance with feeder for around two weeks.

What Do Blackcaps Eat?

Eurasian Blackcaps (sylvia atricapilla) mainly eat insects. Depending on the season, however, their diet can vary if certain foods aren't available.

Blackcaps will eat a variety of insects, including beetles, caterpillars, ants, flies and spiders. During seasons of high energy, such as the breeding season, Blackcaps will often rely heavily on insects to feed their young and themselves.

In winter when insects may not be as readily available, Blackcaps consume fruits and berries. Elderberries, blackberries, mistletoe berries and raspberries are just some of their favourites.

While it is not a food source they heavily rely on, Blackcaps do occasionally consume bird seed, more so now a lot of these summer visitors now stay during the winter too.

What Do Juvenile Blackcaps Eat?

Juvenile Blackcaps, like adults, primarily feed on insects such as beetles, caterpillars, ants, flies, and spiders. Insects provide essential protein and nutrients necessary for the growth and development of young birds.

Young Blackcaps may also consume berries and fruits, although they might not rely on them as heavily as adult birds. Berries and fruits can still be an important food source, especially during the autumn and winter months when insects may be less abundant.

Blackcap Predators

Blackcaps, like any small bird, face threats from a variety of predators throughout their lives.

Birds of prey are a really common predator, they will hunt for Blackcaps when they are roosting or during flight.

Cats, domestic and feral, are another main predator. These skilled hunter can ambush the birds both on the ground and in trees, taking them by surprise.

Larger birds such as crows, magpies, and jays are known to raid the nests of smaller birds like blackcaps, consuming eggs and chicks.

How to Attract Blackcaps into Your Garden

Blackcaps prefer gardens with a mix of dense shrubs, bushes, and trees for nesting, roosting, and foraging. Plant a variety of native plants that offer cover and food sources, including berry-bearing shrubs like elderberry, hawthorn, and blackberry.

Providing a clean and reliable water source, such as a birdbath or shallow pond, can attract Blackcaps and other birds to your garden for drinking and bathing.

Although Blackcaps primarily feed on insects and berries, they may also visit bird feeders, especially during the winter months when food sources are scarce. Offer a variety of foods year round, including suet fat balls, mealworms, sunflower hearts, and fruit.

Blackcaps tend to nest in dense vegetation, such as thick shrubs or hedges. Leave some areas of your garden wild and untamed to provide suitable nesting habitat for blackcaps.

Install birdhouses or nest boxes in your garden to provide additional nesting sites for Blackcaps.

Five Facts about Blackcaps 

1. Blackcaps are remarkable migratory birds. European Blackcaps undertake one of the longest migrations of any warbler, traveling thousands of kilometers each year from their breeding grounds in Europe to their wintering grounds in Africa.

2. Blackcaps are talented singers and are known for their melodious songs. Interestingly, they are also capable mimics and may incorporate the songs of other bird species into their repertoire.

3. Adult male Blackcaps have striking black caps on their heads, while females have brown caps. This distinct colouration gives them their name, "Blackcap."

4. While primarily insectivorous, Blackcaps are opportunistic feeders and will also consume berries, fruits, and even nectar when available. This dietary flexibility allows them to adapt to different environments and seasons.

5. Blackcaps are adaptable birds and can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, gardens, parks, and even urban areas. They are known to readily visit backyard feeders, especially during the winter months.