Black cap warbler / Mönchsgrasmücke (Sylvia atricapilla)

Mönchsgrasmücke Weibchen vom Büro daheim aus gesehen. 2024-08-24 08:08:33 Fehraltorf

Observations

First documented observation: 2019-08-30 at the Luppmen. Most recent observation: 2026-05-24 in Fanel/Chablais de Cudrefin und La Sauge.

Description

Classification: Genus Sylvia (Sylvia); Subfamily Sylviinae (Sylviinae); Family Old world warblers (Sylviidae)
General: On a tree branch, but not usually on the treetop.
General: Deutschland: Brut-, Zugvogel
Etymology: Grayish bird with black cap (or brown in the case of females), for which reason the German name refers to them as monks. [Link]

Seasonal behavior

Year-round bird
Breeding: 04-20 - 08-09
Migration in: 02-20 - 05-10
Migration out: 08-18 - 10-27
More details at Vogelwarte.ch

Other Details

Physical details

Physical details: length=13 cm, wingspan=20-23 cm, weight=16-25 g
Habitats: Forest, Agricultural

Vocalisation

Song: They sometimes sing like a blackbird on speed - also non-stereotypic, seemingly improvised, in short bursts. Our local guy ends most of his songs with the same seven notes, which I find a good way to confirm the identification. In Ticino we often heard the 'Leiern' sound - the warblers would sing just the first 3 notes of a longer song, then stop. The order varied; high-medium-low I call 'Figaro' as in the opera, low-high-medium 'whiskey bar', as it sounded to me like the Kurt Weill lyrics, 'O-oh-show me-the-way to-the-next whis-ke-bar' - but the warbler usually stopped after 'way' or 'next' The British authors of The Sound Approach claim to hear 'a warblel and a whistle'.
Song: Mit schwätzendem Vorgesang, (kann auch kurz sein oder ganz fehlen) der dann in klare, kräftige, zum Ende hin in wehmütige Flötentöne übergeht (Überschlag) [Link]
Song pleasing, varied and loud. Sometimes very similar to Garden Warbler. A typical phrase starts with soft, staccato chattering and mimicry, which after a few seconds changes to a much louder, pure and resonant stream of notes for about 3-5 seconds. No fixed motif, but may end phrases with recurring notes. Often deviates from the characteristic type of song, and identification from song alone may be impossible. May sing first part of song for extended periods without ever reaching the characteristic ending. [Link] Song attributes: Melody: improvised melodic (hml), fast, Frequency: 2-5 KHz Special sounds: mimicry Singing season: 03-01 - 07-31 Dawn chorus start: 45 minutes before dawn.
Birdnet 1356 - Eurasian Blackcap - 2021-03-31 19:12:00 - Eurasian Blackcap - Lugano. Lugano 2021-03-31 19:12:00 Melody: hml ♫ 2021-03-31 19:12:00 Source: BirdNet 20210331_191200 birdnet 1356 - Eurasian Blackcap hml - 2021-03-31 19:12:00 - Eurasian Blackcap - Lugano.mp3 Lugano (song)

Tenero, lokaler Mönchsgrasmücke Gesang endet meistens mit hlhl oder hlhlh. Bolle di Magadino 2023-06-20 07:52:22 Melody: hlhl hlhlh ♫ 2023-06-20 07:52:22 Source: Zoom H6/H2n Bolle di Magadino (song)

Dawn chorus an der Luppen - Amsel 2m06, Mönchsgrasmücke 4m, 8+m, Kohlmeise, Hausrotschwanz, Aaskrähe. Luppmen 2024-05-15 05:27:28 Melody: m Singers: Common blackbird, Black cap warbler🐦, Great tit🐦, Black redstart🐦, Carrion crow🐦
♫ 2024-05-15 05:27:28 Source: Zoom H6/H2n Luppmen (song)

Calls: „täck“ oft wiederholt [Link]
Alarm call a hard "check", similar to Lesser White-throat. Sometimes with an additional hoarse and nasal "cherrrr". [Link] 1: General: Sputtery/stoney, but may have other calls too.
Call: The Blackcap may generate a perplexing variety of territorial calls, though the typical contact call is a hard, tongue-clicking "teck teck" which has a scolding quality to it. It's not dissimilar to the 'pebble-clacking' call of the Stonechat. [Suffex Wildlife Trust]
XC546030 black cap warbler so-called tac and djii call.

XC546030 black cap warbler so-called tac and djii call. ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC546030 black cap warbler so-called tac and djii call.mp3 (call)


2: No details but a Xeno-Canto recording.
XC548858-20200411 Eurasian Blackcap, alarm call part of advertising song, male, Flughafen Belpmoos, Bern, Switzerland.

XC548858-20200411 Eurasian Blackcap, alarm call part of advertising song, male, Flughafen Belpmoos, Bern, Switzerland. Switzerland ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC548858-20200411 Eurasian Blackcap, alarm call part of advertising song, male, Flughafen Belpmoos, Bern, Switzerland.mp3 Switzerland (alarm call)


Call attributes: Call melody: one note, slow, Frequency: high (3-9 KHz), Special sounds: sputter/pebble-clatter.