# Blackcap (*Sylvia atricapilla*) The Blackcap is a small, friendly bird with a lovely song. It has a smooth, gray body and a black or brown cap on its head, depending on the gender. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Woodlands and gardens - **Also known as:** Common Blackcap ![Blackcap](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424261/objects/4574.jpg) ## Appearance The Blackcap is a small, plump warbler with greyish-olive plumage. Males have a distinct glossy black cap, while females and juveniles have a reddish-brown cap. It has a plain face and greyish legs. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Sylviidae - **Genus:** Sylvia ## Interesting facts - A Blackcap's cap color tells you if it's a boy (black) or a girl (brown)! - Some Blackcaps have started migrating west to the UK for winter food. - Their beautiful song gives them the nickname 'Northern Nightingale'! - They use spider silk to help weave their nests together, making them strong! ## Special abilities - **Melody Master:** Blackcap can produce a complex, fluting song because of its specialized vocal cords, which helps them attract mates. - **Berry Navigator:** Blackcap has exceptional vision that helps them spot ripe berries from a distance, crucial for their diet. - **Migration Magnet:** Blackcap can sense Earth's magnetic field, helping them navigate vast distances during seasonal migrations. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 13-15 cm - **Wingspan:** 20-23 cm - **Weight:** 0.014-0.02 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-5 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-6 - **Incubation:** 10-14 days - **Migration Distance:** 3500 km ## Diet & Feeding Feeds on insects, berries, and fruits, adapting its diet through the seasons. - **Primary Foods:** caterpillars, aphids, elderberries, blackberries, cherries, spiders - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Wild Cherry (*Prunus avium*) — Feasts on ripe cherries, aiding seed dispersal. - **Eaten by:** [Elderberry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/elderberry) (*Sambucus nigra*) — Consumes elderberries, a vital autumn food source. - **Eats:** [Black Garden Ant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-garden-ant) (*Lasius niger*) — Preys on adult ants and their larvae for protein. - **Eaten by:** [Eurasian Sparrowhawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-sparrowhawk) (*Accipiter nisus*) — A swift raptor that preys on small woodland birds. - **Eaten by:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — Domestic cats are common predators in garden habitats. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Blackcaps are gentle and not harmful. Enjoy watching them from a distance! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Blackcap? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Blackcap? 13-15 cm ### What is Blackcap's wingspan? 20-23 cm ### How much does Blackcap weigh? 0.014-0.02 kg ### How long does Blackcap live? 2-5 years ### How fast can Blackcap move? 35 km/h ### What does Blackcap eat? Feeds on insects, berries, and fruits, adapting its diet through the seasons. ### Where is Blackcap usually found? Woodlands and gardens ## Where to spot - [Zoo de Castellar](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-de-castellar) — Andalusia, ES · Zoo - [Newquay Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/newquay-zoo) — England, GB · Zoo - [Monkey Jungle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monkey-jungle) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Zoo de Lunaret](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-de-lunaret) — Occitania, FR · Zoo - [Natur Park Südgelände](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/natur-park-sudgelande-berlin) — Berlin, DE · Park - [Viktoriapark (Berlin)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/viktoriapark-berlin) — Berlin, DE · Park [View all places to see Blackcap](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/blackcap) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Blackcap: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blackcap)