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BTO Blueline
BLACKCAP
Sylvia atricapilla
 Blackcap © Colin Varndell
 
Conservation listings
Europe: no SPEC category (concentrated in Europe, conservation status favourable)
UK: Green
Long-term trend
UK, England: rapid increase
Distribution maps
Maps and statistics from British and Irish
atlases can be viewed here.
Status summary
Blackcap abundance has increased consistently since the late 1970s, a trend common to all habitats and evident from both the CBC/BBS and the CES indices, although the causes remain unknown. There have been no clear accompanying trends in productivity. The trend towards earlier laying may be a response to recent climate change (Crick & Sparks 1999).
 
CBC/BBS UK graph
 
Table of population changes for Blackcap
Source Period
(yrs)		 Years Plots
(n)		 Change
(%)		 Lower
limit		 Upper
limit		 Alert Comment
CBC/BBS UK 35 1967-2002 391 121 79 191    
  25 1977-2002 501 129 100 163    
  10 1992-2002 1004 50 41 58    
  5 1997-2002 1360 20 15 23    
CBC/BBS England 35 1967-2002 347 110 72 156    
  25 1977-2002 443 119 89 150    
  10 1992-2002 882 45 38 52    
  5 1997-2002 1180 16 11 19    
CES adults 18 1984-2002 84 35 . .    
  10 1992-2002 99 28 . .    
  5 1997-2002 100 6 . .    
CES juveniles 18 1984-2002 86 26 . .    
  10 1992-2002 101 18 . .    
  5 1997-2002 103 4 . .    
BBS UK 9 1994-2003 1067 36 28 44    
BBS England 9 1994-2003 930 22 15 30    
BBS Wales 9 1994-2003 90 64 32 104    
BBS acknowledgement
 
CBC/BBS England graph
CES adult abundance graph
CES juvenile abundance graph
BBS UK graph
BBS Wales graph
 
Table of productivity information
Variable Period
(yrs)		 Years Mean
annual
sample		 Trend Predicted
in first year		 Predicted
in last year		 Change Comment
Clutch size 34 1968-2002 34 None        
Brood size 34 1968-2002 41 None        
Daily failure rate (eggs) 34 1968-2002 44 None        
Daily failure rate (chicks) 34 1968-2002 34 None        
Laying date 34 1968-2002 35 Curvilinear day 139 day 128 -11 days  
Percentage juveniles (CES) 18 1984-2002 92 Smoothed trend 113 productivity index 102 productivity index -12%  
Percentage juveniles (CES) 10 1992-2002 108 Smoothed trend 116 productivity index 102 productivity index -14%  
Percentage juveniles (CES) 5 1997-2002 109 Smoothed trend 105 productivity index 102 productivity index -5%  
 
Clutch size graph
Brood size graph
Egg nest failure graph
Chick nest failure graph
Laying date graph
CES productivity graph
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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Crick, H.Q.P., Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Coombes, R.H.,
Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. (2005)
Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2004.
BTO Research Report No. 385. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 18 January, 2006