Animalia Life
Prunella modularis
TAXONOMY
Prunella modularis Linnaeus, 1758.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Hedge-sparrow, hedge accentor; French: Accenteur
mouchet; German: Heckenbrounelle; Spanish: Acentor Comъn.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
6 in (15 cm); 0.7 oz (19 g). The beak is pointed and slender,
and the feet and legs are sturdy. Upperparts are brownish gray
and usually streaked with black and lighter colors; underparts
are more uniformly gray with a few apricot markings.
DISTRIBUTION
The dunnock occurs in suitable habitat throughout Europe,
ranging as far east as the far western regions of Russia. It is
migratory in northern parts of its range, but may be resident in
more southern parts in France and Spain. The dunnock was
introduced to New Zealand between 1860 and 1880, where it
persists today.
HABITAT
Dunnocks occur in woods with abundant undergrowth, and in
hedges and shrubbery near forest edges, typically at a breeding
density of less than about 2.6 pairs per m2 (1 pair per km2). In
well-vegetated farmland and gardens of midland Britain, however,
their density can be up to 30 times greater.
BEHAVIOR
Dunnocks are shy and unassuming birds. In many areas, they
are characteristic but little-known garden birds because of their
secretive habits. Most populations are migratory. Dunnocks are
normally seen as individuals or pairs during the breeding season,
but during winter they may occur in large foraging flocks.
A particularly good local food source may encourage a flock of
a hundred or more birds to gather. Dunnocks sing from the
tops of conifers of medium height. The song is a short, bright,
soft, metallic twittering.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
During the growing season, dunnocks predominantly feed on
invertebrates, including insects, spiders, and worms. During
the winter they eat seeds and small berries. They will readily
consume food put out for songbirds at winter feeders.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Dunnocks build a cup-shaped nest in a shrub or low tree. They
breed from about the beginning of April to the end of July,
and typically raise two broods per year. The incubation period
is 12–14 days, and the young are fully fledged at 11–13 days
after hatching. Both parents care for their young. Dunnocks
are often polyandrous breeders, that is, a female will mate with
several males within her breeding territory, and all may cooperate
to raise the young.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. The dunnock is a widespread and relatively
abundant bird. In some parts of their range, however, they have
significantly decreased in abundance. In Britain, for example, the
species has declined by 45–60% between 1975 and 2001. The
most precipitous population decline was during 1975 through
1986, with maintenance of the lower population thereafter. The
reasons for the decline are not known, and it did not occur
throughout the British Isles (Wales had a population increase).
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Dunnocks are of no direct significance to people, except for the
economic benefits of bird-watching. Ticks living on dunnocks
and other migratory birds have been recently (2001) implicated
in the spread of a bacterial pathogen, Ehrlichia phagocytophila,
the causative agent of the rare disease ehrlichiosis in humans.
The dunnock is mentioned by the English novelist, Emily
Brontл, in her famous novel, Wuthering Heights.
Photo Gallery of - Dunnock
