Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Genus: Sylvia
Species: atricapilla
Sub-species: heineken/ obscura

Description
The subspecies (S. a. heineken) of Blackcap is endemic to Macaronesia, being easily identified by its loud song and non-musical calls, at times not unlike those of the Blackbird. Its body is grey, the back being darker than the inner part, and the males have a black cap, while the cap on the females is reddish-brown. There is also a melanistic variety of this species, whose colour is much darker, with all head black, due to a recessive gene, it is the (S. a. obscura) subspecies.

Distribution
The Blackcap is a very common bird on the island of Madeira, contrary to the other islands of the Archipelago, where it is considered a migratory bird.

Habitat
This bird does not have a specific habitat, but it can be generally said to inhabit relatively dense shrubby areas up to a maximum altitude of 1000 metres, being rarely found in the Laurel forest.

Breeding
It builds its nests in shrubs and lays 4 to 5 eggs of various shades of colour. The incubation is shared by the breeding pair, whose song is louder and more complete during this time, in defence of their territory. The young hatch from the eggs in about 15 days, and two weeks later they make their first flight.
Their European congener lays eggs twice a year, in April and in July.

Curiosities
According to legend, when a blackcap’s nest had 5 eggs in it, the last egg laid would be of the melanistic variety. This was to explain why the melanistic individuals were much less common than the non-melanistic birds.

Madeiran name: Toutinegra
Madeira Archipelago resident breeder
Social: Solitary
Length: 12 - 14 cm
Status: Secure