Blackcap: Everything you need to know about these birds

The blackcap, is a bird of small size, with a quite abundant plumage that covers all its body, this pretty little bird is distributed by Europe, Africa and Asia, it belongs to the family of the Silvidae or Sylvidae in the specific order of the passerines, although it is of small size, the same next to the other members of its species is one of the biggest.

The proportional size of the blackcap is 13.5 cm to 15 cm, they are birds of small size and for this reason not very visible in nature, because they have discrete colors that are confused and hide among the branches and leaves of trees.

The blackcap, used to nest in the branches of trees and shrubs, for this reason the habitat of the same is of utmost importance, it must be abundant vegetation and food for them and their offspring, consequently the habitats of the warblers and other species of birds must be preserved and cared for by man for the life and reproduction of most animal species in this case the blackcap.

the blackcap as well as the blackcap are not migratory birds, they are called sedentary birds because they remain in their place of origin, although at a certain time of the year they are forced to leave or make a small nocturnal trip in winter because they cannot overcome the cold, but there are birds of the same species that remain in the same place but first cover their space with apples, a fruit that helps them to stay longer without moving from the space.

Characteristics of the black-capped warbler

The characteristics of the black-capped warblers are very important to be taken into account to distinguish one species from another, these birds have a sexual dimorphism, because their body has different colors in their feathers, although they are not very different should be taken into account to distinguish the female from the male.

Among the similar characteristics of the black-capped warbler between the female and the male, are their measurements, they have an approximate size of 13 to 15 cm with a wingspan of 20 to 23 cm, these beautiful birds have the skull a little flattened in both sexes also have the tarsi and feet of bluish green color, both sexes have the same color of the iris which is brown or light brown.

In the case of the male the plumage of the same one has more opaque colors has an olive green color not very distinguishable in the lateral part of the head of the chest and of the neck, has the belly of white color, its wings and its tail are of blackish gray color, like its forehead, it is possible to emphasize that the male is quite discreet by its colors although the white color in parts of its body can give it away a little.

In the case of the female, it has the posterior parts of the body of olive-brown color on the sides of the face has two grayish mops that differentiate it from the male, the chest of the same is pale, as you can see these birds are differentiated by having the color of their plumage one lighter than the other, as it is in the case of the female that is lighter than the male.

Behavior of the black-capped warbler

Among the behaviors that we can describe of the blackcap we will take into account its feeding, reproduction and courtship, which are a fundamental part of getting to know this beautiful bird.

Among the foods enjoyed by the blackcap we have that are provided by mother nature, such as fruits, seeds, among others, these birds have a good appetite and most of their lives are looking for food for both themselves and their young, among these foods we find insects, berries, caterpillars, larvae, cherries, blackberries among other species of fruits and insects that can be fed, they are quite open with their food.

At the time of reproduction, these birds are quite territorial especially the males that before finding the female for mating fight with the other birds of the same species to be able to stay with the space, the same tends to turn around on a branch and sing in a desperate way and lowers its wings so that it is observed destined to stay in the place the loser must withdraw and look for another space.

Warbler courtship and eggs

At the time of courtship and mating the male attends the female with a praise dance by moving his body from side to side and passing his wings close to the female.

They lay between 3 to 4 eggs, which are cared for and fed by both parents until they reach sexual maturity and leave the nest to seek an independent life, the nest is created by both parents with branches, feathers and objects from nature.

Distribution and habitat

This beautiful species is mainly distributed in Europe, it can also be seen in Africa and Asia, one of the most frequent places for these birds are the Canary Islands, highlighting that the habitats of these beautiful birds are wide spaces with abundant vegetation and food.

Among the habitats of the blackcap, we have forests, gardens, parks, wooded areas, orchards and other similar places you can observe this wonderful bird, but before I go I’ll leave you this nice video about this beautiful bird.

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