Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
The Dunnock is a quaint, oak-brown-coloured resident which can be observed throughout the whole of Britain, except the Shetland Islands, and can be seen at most times of the year. Because of its relatively bland colour, it does have the potential to be “brushed off” as a humble House sparrow – hence it is often labelled the “hedge sparrow”. However, whereas the House sparrow is a habitual loafer, preferring the company of others in multitude, and usually seen confidently perched up high, the Dunnock has a penchant for life as a ground-dweller.
Hence, as a very unobtrusive, ground-feeding bird, the Dunnock can often be seen creeping along the ground close to the cover of bushes, brambles, scrub and other forms of dense vegetation. It exhibits an almost secretive method of going about its daily business, in a somewhat shuffling manner.
Both males and females are almost indistinguishable with streaked brown above, grey on the face and breast and streaked flanks. While feeding on the ground, the Dunnock quickly flicks its tail. In fact, the Dunnock is commonly regarded as the “shuffle-wing” because of this behaviour.
Dunnocks are famed songsters, using a rapid yet shrill Tseeping sound to signal others around them; in fact, their rapid tenth-of-a-second outbursts have been noted as “sexy-syllables”, which, interestingly, is the time, according to Paul Evans of the Guardian, it takes for a Dunnock to copulate; very rapid indeed.
Etymology and classification
The Latinate name is Prunella modularis, although they are also known by the relatively humble names “hedge accentor” or “hedge sparrow”. And, the term Dunnock is derived from old English (dun-, brown, + -ock, small: “little brown bird”).
The Dunnock is classified as an accentor, a group of birds in the Prunellidae family: there are only two in the whole of Europe, with just one in the UK. They are primarily of Asian origin, and can be distinguished by their slight statures, pot-bellied shape and pointed bills, which adapted for picking out insects over summer and eating seeds and berries over winter. According to Wikipedia, all but the Dunnock and the Japanese accentor are inhabitants of the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia.
Mating behaviour
Dunnocks engage in complex sexual activity classified as “polyandry” and “polygyny”. Polyandry occurs when a female shares several males, quite a rare behaviour among birds; polygyny is where a single male would monopolise several females. The Dunnock’s variable mating system is incredibly complex and fluid. This fluidity is derived from the fact that if food is provided in abundance, female territory size can considerably reduce; thus, allowing males to monopolise females more easily. Despite this, it is common for Dunnocks to shift between polyandry and polygyny depending on circumstance.
Diet
Dunnocks will prospect for insects and arachnids such as ants and spiders during summer, and seek out berries and seeds over winter. However, it’s perfectly acceptable to put out juicy equivalents like live mealworm, or even soaked dried mealworms, which make for an ideal summertime treat. Over winter, consider energy-boosting supplements, like insect suet blends or the popular Ultiva Gold seed mix; you Dunnocks will come back for more and more.
House sparrow vs Dunnock
If you’re not sure of the difference between House sparrows and Dunnocks, take a look below.
House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
I love reading about all the the birds on here. So informative and helpful feeding tips
Sorry to be pedantic, but spiders are not insects – they are arachnids. Otherwise a good article.
Hi Colin,
You’re absolutely right, and thanks for pointing this out. I’ll look to get this changed ASAP.
GardenBird
We regularly see Dunnocks in our semi rural garden, and they forage around under the bird feeder to pick up scraps of sunflower hearts that the finches drop on the grass. Beautiful little birds.
These are tremendously informative accounts of garden birds. If the general reader wishes more information then they can look up the bird. I advocate these accounts, as an Ambassador for BTO’s Garden Bird Watch, to people & groups to whom I speak as an initial introduction to garden birds. It also allows them to search your website for high quality foods for garden birds.
Keep up the good work.
I wonder how many people counted dunnocks as sparrows when doing the RSPB Garden Birdwatch and therefore inadvertently skewed the figures
Would be nice to have a MP3 of the bird song playable on this site. Good article, though.
I have a exspensive six port feeder with black sunflower seeds in not eaten why. my other feeders are regularly used
David Attenborough hasn’t done much to help our local wildlife over the last 40 years. We keep being told our wildlife is in decline, all the programs he as done we are no better off with the survival of our wildlife and the planet
I love ❤️ the swans ducks and water birds on our park lakes but they are never talked about, lots of children never know the name of them. Is it because no one buys seeds for them they only get bread? The
I love Dunnocks nothing like House sparrow, I have my wee Dunnock visit my windowsill everyday for his mealworms ❤️
Today i took a Dunnock Fledgling to Brent Lodge Wild Life Hospital ……I have been looking after it for 2 wks ….When it was found on the pavement by my dog ,,the eye’s was just little slit’s no feathers on it’s wing’s …. Now Fully fledged feeding it self & flying well ..So off to Brent Lodge for the second half of it’s life …… Have a GOOD life little bird
We have a Dunnock that is in our garden a lot, and always seems to be with a blackbird. If one flies off the other follows! Is this common?
We have exactly the same in our garden.
I have a Dunnock which has been around for few months I thought it only had one leg but recently it does lower the other leg,but it seems to sit down all fluffed up like a chicken quite often whilst it eats .
It can fly but stays in and around my garden and never takes any notice of the other birds and they take no notice of her/ him.
It doesn’t seem to be injured,but looks slightly lopsided,might be deformed maybe?
Shall I carry on feeding it and just hope it pairs up?
I think it is the Dunnock that is bouncing around the hedges in groups or pairs and flapping their wings extremely fast on landing. From the information I have gleaned is this courtship behaviour ? Definitely not the sparrows. Was not sure of the species but I think they must be Dunnocks ?
My friendly little dunnock always comes to see me when I’m gardening and hops within 4-6 inches of me when I keep still. He loves bright green caterpillars!
Harold Jones June 27, 2020:
We have a mating pair of Dunnock`s in our garden, some of the information I have obtained say that the chicks are pushed out of the nest before being able to fly, and I was wondering what food I could supply to help them flourish, I would not like to lose them. Very good read and information.
I have a little brown bird comes to my garden. It sounds like the Dunnok it red legs. It is always on it’s own it goes about the ground like a wee mouse it’s tail up as it goes.
Thanks for the information I have one pops in my greenhouse at allotment