Dunnocks

You catch a glimpse of that ‘sparrow’ scuttling along in the undergrowth near your bird table and don’t give it another thought – but often the reclusive little brown bird is not a ‘sparrow' - not even the same family - it is a Dunnock.

Dull brown and greyish a single glance says “House Sparrow – female” – but then the behaviour starts to raise doubts – why does it not join in with the rest of the flock causing mayhem on the bird table – why the quick, darting movements, and surely that beak is not right?

The Dunnock (Prunella modularis) is a small passerine, or perching bird, found throughout temperate Europe and into Asia. It is by far the most widespread member of the accentor family, which otherwise consists of mountain species. Other common names of the dunnock include the hedge accentor, hedge sparrow, or hedge warbler. The name "dunnock" comes from the Ancient British *dunnākos, meaning "little brown one".

…..Says Wikipedia

…..and to that I’d add – “with a pointed beak”, which instantly tells you it is not a Sparrow!

If you are lucky enough to have these little fellows in your garden do give them that second glance – there is much going on in their lives, and although they do not frequent the higher levels of your bird table, preferring to find the seed which drops down they are probably about and grateful for the food.

When I mention that there is much going on in their lives be aware that they are inclined to be a bit naughty by our standards - Dunnocks take just one-tenth of a second to copulate and can mate more than 100 times a day. Females are often polyandrous (breeding with two or more males at once), which is quite rare among birds. This multiple mating system leads to the development of competition amongst the male suitors. DNA investigations have shown that chicks within a brood often have different fathers, depending on the success of the males at monopolising the female……and that is quite enough about that!