Eurasian blackcap

Description

The Eurasian blackcap is 13.5 to 15 cm long and has a wingspan of 20 to 23 cm. It weighs between 15 and 22 grams.

The upperparts are dark grey, the underparts olive grey. The throat and undertail coverts are pale, the iris always black. The tail is always dark, lighter at the base and without white. The flanks are slightly brownish, more so in females and young than in males. The beak and legs are grey.

The black feather cap is characteristic of the males. The scientific species name "atricapilla" (Latin for "blackhead") and the common name Schwarzplattl, which is widespread in Austria and Bavaria, refer to this. Females and young birds have a reddish-brown cap. Males in their first winter have a brown, black or a mixture of both colours.

In Central Europe, the Eurasian blackcap is distributed almost everywhere, with the exception of treeless and shrubless areas and the high mountains from about 1500 metres above sea level, with the highest densities in riparian forests, damp mixed forests and shady parks. Treeless shrub stands are avoided. Outside the breeding season it usually stays in bushes that bear many berries, then also in open countryside. In the wintering area it is very versatile in its choice of habitat. The blackcap also breeds in the middle of large cities in bushy and tree-covered gardens and parks. In its choice of breeding territory, the blackcap is the most versatile warbler in Central Europe. It prefers semi-shady places to dry, open and sunny areas. It prefers deciduous woodland to coniferous woodland, but may locally occur more in evergreen vegetation, such as ivy or laurel woodland.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mönchsgrasmücke). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 01 December 2021