Dunnock

An unassuming bird that is often present in gardens as well as the wider countryside, the Dunnock (or Hedge Sparrow as it was known) likes to fossick about in the undergrowth searching for insects and grubs. Its plumage is muted browns and greys but it has its own beauty. It is not related at all to the House Sparrow but belongs to the family of Accentors with a finer beak.

It is a resident bird although numbers increase over the winter with an influx from the continent. As insects die off, they will change their diet to seeds and berries during the cold months.

It has a short, pleasing song and its call is a persistent seeep. The scientific name Prunus modularis means ‘brown singing bird’. The English name Dunnock is the oldest known name for a species, datinag from 1483 and means ‘little brown bird’.

It is hard to tell juveniles apart from adults – the latter have red-brown rather than dull brown eyes in the autumn, but judgemaent can be subjective.

During the breeding season, they do not pair off but rather breed in groups of up to six birds – most common is a female with two males. Male rivalry is intense and there has been at least one instance of one male attacking and killing another (Cambridge, March 2021, recorded by Nick Davies in British Birds, October 2021).

The oldest known Dunnock from ringing records was over 10 years 7 months old which is exceptional as their expected lifespan is around two years