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Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Clickhere for the bird's sound.

The Blackcap returns to the garden every year, but is a restless little thing.

The Blackcap's name seems a very obvious one, as the most striking part of this bird is the bright black cap. Yet that is only part of the story, for only the males have a similar black cap. The females do look exactly the same, but their cap is brown. Blackcaps belong to one of two families of birds that together are called the warblers. And of all these warblers the Blackcap is the least shy. It shows itself regularly in the bushes and trees and during the daytime it will take long baths and dry itself in the sun at places where you can easily observe the bird. The bird arrives in Holland in april, and leaves in september or october.

This bird belongs to the family of Warblers (Sylviinae). It is very common in our garden and can be seen in Holland april -october. The bird is 5,5" and weighs 20 grams. It lives in gardens and parks mostly. It eats insects, spiders and berries. Compared to the male, the female has a brown cap. The breeding season starts immediately after the return of the bird from Africa and lasts till July. The nest is usually made in small trees or bushes. The bird produces four to six eggs, which hatch after 12 days. The young are quick to leave the nest: only 12 days after hatching, the fly away.