Movements of Blackcaps ringed in Britain and Ireland

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Abstract
The movements of blackcaps, S. atricapilla, ringed in Britain and of those ringed abroad and recovered in Britain are analyzed. Juvenile blackcaps dispersed locally within 25 km of their ringing sites during July and Aug. By Sept. they were moving longer distances, and by Oct. most British blackcaps had left Britain in a south to south-westerly direction. Winter recoveries of British blackcaps were mostly in Iberia and North Africa. In spring most recoveries were in Morocco and southwest France in March and April: by May most birds had reached Britain. A proportion of British blackcaps probably wintered south of the sahara. Foreign-ringed blackcaps were found along the British east coast in autumn. Birds ringed in winter in Morocco and Spain were also recovered in Britain. Blackcaps ringed at east coast observatories may belong to continental populations having both south-west and south-east orientated autumn migrations. Overwintering blackcaps in Britain are from continental Europe and are not part of the British breeding populations. Evidence for this was provided by foreign-ring birds recovered in winter, by the absence of winter recoveries of birds ringed in Britain in summer, and by the recovery in winter of birds ringed on the east coast in late autumn when continental migrants predomiate.