Why Blackcaps are Flying North for the Winter

A look at why some Eurasian Blackcaps from central Europe are choosing to fly north for the winter rather than spending the winter in Mediterranean areas.

Blackcaps were once considered mainly spring and summer visitors to the UK, breeding here before flying to the Mediterranean for the winter. However, over the last few decades, Blackcaps have been increasingly found in the UK during the winter months. Rather than this being due to summer visitors staying put, it seems Blackcaps that breed in central Europe are migrating to the UK to spend the winter here.

The reason for this unusual north-westward migration is the readily available supply of bird food in UK gardens.

Wintering in the UK also means a shorter journey and earlier return to their breeding grounds compared to Blackcaps that spend the winter in Mediterranean areas. And by arriving back earlier than their competitors, the birds can claim the best breeding territories and have a greater chance of breeding success.

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Thank you for watching!

[helenashton]

Thank you My Birding Year for the informative video. I’ve never seen a Blackcap before, so it’s always good for me to see new birds.
A good size bird too. Loved the one sat in the tree with snow.
Have a lovely weekend. Thank you again 😊

[JacqJansen]

Wat een mooie vogel en leuk zo bij de vogelsilo

[Svain]

Great footage.
We've definitely been seeing Blackcaps in recent winters in NW Kent, but almost always only females. Easy to spot when they're around though, from their aggressive defence of feeding spots. Love 'em.

[Keapix]

I’ve noticed that we have some that have stuck around this winter. I’m not sure how many of them we have, but I often see two males and one female.