Blackcaps - Information Please

gramps

gramps

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Since putting up feeders in my garden I have had a good selection of wild birds visiting the garden ... blue tits, great tits, goldfinches, coal tits, greenfinches, sparrows, a dunnock ... and two female (I think) and a male blackcap.

Now since the female (I think) blackcaps have taken up residence many of the other birds have been infrequent or non-visitors.
The two female (I think) blackcaps tolerate each other but if they get two close there is trouble and one seems to have claimed a tree where a number of the feeders are located ... any trespassers and she's thrown into a frenzy!

My question is, are blackcaps so vigorously territorial that they will chase off everything else?
I love to see them in the garden but it will be a great shame if they deter other species.
 
There was a comment not long ago on the Somerset Ornithological Society forum on that subject. Someone had had a very aggressive male in his garden that had chased everything off the feeders. He said the birds took a couple of years to really come back. And someone else reporting 2 bullfinches being seen off by a blackcap. I had a male in my garden the other day (first one ever) and it was very nervous, so I guess you can be lucky or unlucky in your blackcaps, though with everyone else it seems to be males which are a problem. Unfortunately if they do see off other birds there's not much you can do about it. Try moving the feeders to the other side of the garden and see if the territorial female will stay put where she is?
 
I'd not heard of this but info online suggests blackcaps do defend their territories against other blackcaps and other birds that occupy similar habitats. I'd agree with Jan's suggestion of moving the feeders; that may put enough distance between it and other birds. We sometimes get blackcaps on our feeders but, so far, they have not tried to drive off other birds.

At least you will have the joy of a wonderful song soon.

Dave
 
Thanks both, I've split the feeders up so giving a variety of points where the birds can feed ... I can only hope that she will settle a bit more and the others will feel able to stop-by and feed.
The only ones to stand up to her so far are the goldfinches but even they took a wide berth today! :(
 
Hope it works Gramps. The blackcap on our feeders has sometimes been pushed away by the goldfinches too, but as they come mob handed that is not surprising. I'll keep a look out for any change in behaviour of the blackcaps here.

Dave
 
They are Gramps,as soon as the pair I had around here got the taste for crunchy Peanut butter,he would see off everything in sight.Even the Robin would not come down whilst he was about.
 
u8myufo said:
They are Gramps,as soon as the pair I had around here got the taste for crunchy Peanut butter,he would see off everything in sight.Even the Robin would not come down whilst he was about.
Click to expand...

Rich the single male keeps pretty much to himself and the mealworm feeder, just chasing off any sparrows that dare to come near the food.
The two females, (at the other end of the garden), though are extremely territorial, they left the garden yesterday when I was doing a bit of work out there and after I came in I had some blue tits come back ... but it's the same today, just the three Blackcaps :)

A quick record shot of one of mine, from out of the back door ...

View attachment 29636

and a similar record shot (through the kitchen window) of the male.

View attachment 29637
 
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Well to be honest the female I had rarely ventured down in the garden,I guess they had decided on a suitable nest site at the time and was guarding it.The Male would come down frequently and grab a bit of food which he would take back for her,part of the courting proceedure obviously.Well it`s great you have them in the area close to home mate,they will stay around now for sure I would have thought.
 
u8myufo said:
Well to be honest the female I had rarely ventured down in the garden,I guess they had decided on a suitable nest site at the time and was guarding it.The Male would come down frequently and grab a bit of food which he would take back for her,part of the courting proceedure obviously.Well it`s great you have them in the area close to home mate,they will stay around now for sure I would have thought.
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I like having them around :)
Do they actually breed in the UK, I thought I read that they just 'over-wintered'?
 
Yes they will mate,a lot have taken up residence here now.
 
gramps said:
That's promising then, see if they use a nestbox :)
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I doubt that Gramps,they like a pretty dense piece of tree or bush well hidden.
 
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