The woods and copses of Vestfold & Telemark in southern Norway will soon be filled with the sound of singing Eurasian Blackcap / Munk Sylvia atricapilla which normally start arriving after 10th April. However, this second-year male found eating apples on the garden feeder, arrived on 26th March and was either an early arrival or more likely an overwintering individual. It was seen eating apples every day until the evening of 6th April, when it stretched its wings flew off for the last time and hopefully to find a suitable breeding locality.
Females and young males have a reddish-brown crown although the males gradually moult from brown to a black crown which becomes glossy black when fully adult. First year (first autumn) and second year males in their first spring plumage, often show varying amount of brown feathering. This bird has a dull black crown with slightly brown fringing around the edges clearly indicating its age and sex. Occasionally, young males maintain much brown colourisation in the crown later on in the second year than other individuals and included here is an extreme individual photographed in Hungary in May 2016. Also included is a typical presumed adult male and female plumaged individual's also from May 2016.
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Eurasian Blackcap second year male - Horten, Norway 6th April 2020
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Eurasian Blackcap second year male - Horten, Norway 6th April 2020
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Eurasian Blackcap second year male - Horten, Norway 6th April 2020
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| Eurasian Blackcap second year male - Horten, Norway 6th April 2020 |
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| Eurasian Blackcap presumed second year male with extreme duel coloured crown - Hungary May 2016 |
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| Eurasian Blackcap presumed adult male, for comparison - Hungary May 2016 |
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| Eurasian Blackcap presumed adult female, for comparison - Hungary May 2016 |
