Scientific name: Sylvia atricapilla (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bird group: Warblers
Field characters. 14 cm. Easily identified by black crown in male and rusty-red crown in female. Plumage otherwise grey on neck and face, brownish on remainder of upperparts and tail and greyish-white underparts. No white in tail. Dark crown does not reach below the eye and is much more limited than in Tits. Juvenile has red crown, as female. Active, but usually not easy to see, except sometimes for singing male or foraging bird in autumn.
Voice. Call sharp 'tec', sometimes rattling like Northern Wren, also 'churr'. Song like Garden Warbler, but ending calm with loud, clear whistling notes.
Distribution. Common summer visitor.
Habitat. Deciduous woods, parks, gardens, etc., with dense crown and undergrowth but open middle storey. More in wooded areas than Garden Warbler.
Food. Insects and berries, mostly found in trees and shrub, but sometimes on the ground.