17

Dunnock (Prunella modularis) Alternate name(s): "Hedge Accentor"; misnomers: "Hedge Sparrow", "Hedge Warbler" German name(s): "Heckenbraunelle" Size: 13-15 cm; wing span 19-21 cm Body mass: 16-25 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.18-0.22

Europe: Family Group 17 Family Group 17 Table Dunnock Alpine Accentor Goldcrest Common Firecrest Madeira Firecrest Eurasian Wren Willow Warbler Common Chiffchaff Iberian Chiffchaff Arctic Warbler Yellow-barred Warbler Wood Warbler Western Bonelli's Warbler Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Dunnocks are small birds roughly the size of a sparrow or bunting. Their plumage is highly cryptic. Apart from the ear coverts, the head and upper chest are leaden-grey. Ear coverts, back and wings are brown to dark grey-brown, with heavy sooty-black streaking. The flanks are more lightly streaked a darker shade of grey-brown than the base colour. The irises are brown. The bill is dark grey-brown, while legs and feet are brown. Note that, while details are described above indicating heavy striation, the Dunnock's jizz is that of a very shy, uniformly dark-coloured bird that dives for cover at the first sign of a disturbance. Although abundant, it can be difficult to see.

Taxonomy, classification See Dunnock at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Dunnock is available HERE . There are 8 extant races of Dunnocks. They are a partly migratory species that is found as a permanent resident mostly in western, central and south-eastern Europe, but also in northern Asia Minor and around the Caucasus mountain range. In the rest of Mediterranean Europe, Asia Minor and around the Black Sea and the southern Caspian Sea they are winter visitors, while in the Alps, eastern Europe and Scandinavia they are summer migrants. Their range extends from the British Isles in the West to the Ural mountain range in the East. Apart from Europe they are found only in Asia Minor and parts of the Middle East (Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, parts of Syria and down the Euphrates/Tigris river system to Kuwait). Dunnocks were also introduced to New Zealand, where now they are widespread. In Europe, 6 races of Dunnocks are found. Amongst these are race "modularis", which populates northern and central Europe, race "mabbotti" in Iberia, southern/central France and Italy, and race "meinertzhageni" in the Balkans. Race "occidentalis" populates Scotland (except the Hebrides), England, Wales and western France. Dunnocks have a preference for young, dense growth, be it in the form of shrubs, hedges or dense growth in woodland, heath, the fringes of agricultural land, parks, gardens or plantations.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "modularis" M. Thomas reports finding Dunnocks, nominate race "modularis", semi-regularly during the winter months in a garden in Eltville, Hessen, Germany. Race "occidentalis" M. Eaton reports finding a Dunnock, race "occidentalis", at Land's End and near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, in September 2019. C. Pears spotted Dunnocks, race "occidentalis", at Borrowdale, Lake District, England, in September 2023. Race "mabbotti" J. Pires reports spotting a Dunnock, race "mabbotti", in Mora, Evora, Portugal, in March 2016. Another was found in Barrinha de Esmoriz, Ovar, Aveiro, Portugal, in November 2021. G. Normand found a Dunnock, race "mabbotti", in the Pyrenees, France, in May 2019. Race "meinertzhageni" A Dunnock, race "meinertzhageni", was caught, ringed and photographed by S. Cuturilov in Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, in October 2017. Another underwent the same procedure at Vlasina Lake, Serbia, in October 2019.

Photos

Race "modularis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Note how the colouring of the birds shown below appears to be different. We do not know yet whether this is due either to varying light conditions or to intrinsic differences.

Near-frontal view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, March 2018]

Lateral view of a Dunnock foraging in a garden (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2018]

Lateral view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2019]

Lateral view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2019]

Lateral view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2019]

Lateral view of a Dunnock issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2019]

Comparison between a Dunnock, left, and an Eurasian Wren, right (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2019]

Race "occidentalis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Land's End, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Frontal view onto the back of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Borrowdale, Lake District, England, September 2023]

Near-lateral view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Dunnock looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Borrowdale, Lake District, England, September 2023]

Race "mabbotti"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Dunnock sitting on a high perch (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Pyrenees, France, May 2019]

Lateral view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2016]

Dorsal view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Barrinha de Esmoriz, Ovar, Aveiro, Portugal, November 2021]

Race "meinertzhageni"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up lateral view of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Vlasina Lake, Serbia, October 2019]

Look onto the back of a Dunnock (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, October 2017]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary

Dunnocks are sedentary throughout the western part of their range. The populations in eastern and north-eastern Europe are migratory.

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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