Bird Word: Cap
- Cap: a patch of colour on the top of the head or the crown of a bird.
Some Australian birds have a distinctive cap on the crown of their head. In some cases this helps greatly in identifying the species, and in others it lends itself to the common name of the bird.
Here are some examples:
- Red-Capped Robin
- Red-Capped Plover
- Plum-Capped Finch (more commonly called the Plum-Headed Finch)
In other cases it is not the word “cap” that is used, but the alternative word “crown.” Here are some examples:
- Purple-Crowned Lorikeet
- Chestnut-Crowned Babbler
- Grey-Crowned Babbler
- Purple-Crowned Fairy-Wren
Look carefully at the head of the bird you are trying to identify. It can be very useful and even diagnostic.
For more in this series of articles check out the Glossary of Bird Words here.
Red Capped Robin