Years ago when we saw one of these in the garden it would have been called a Hedge Sparrow but it's properly named 'Dunnock'. (Prunella modularis).The only British member of this family.
They are common and widespread except for the very North of Scotland. Seen in woodland, hedges and gardens. They build a nest close to the ground somewhere really well hidden in thick hedges, evergreens or bramble thickets, so don't normally use nest-boxes.
Quite shy little birds I don't often see them here but that might be because they are usually at ground level, hopping about under the feeders rather than up on the feeders or in the shrubs that I would see from the window more easily.
Back Soon
I was mystified by a small 'brown robin' or else 'fat sparrow' until I realised it was a dunnock. I never knew they were hedge sparrows, which I'd heard of, dunnock was a new word to me.
ReplyDeleteI use the same name as Bill Oddie gives them, little brow jobs.
ReplyDeleteintroduced to nz a century or more ago and theiving out here. They make a squeaky wheel noise.
ReplyDeleteWe have dunnocks nesting in our next door neighbours large rhodedendron bush. They have a very trilling sort of call. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteI had one just outside the catflap this morning. Pippi was this side of the cat flap, wagging her tail in hunting mode, so I had to tap on the door glass to frighten it away. I have a splendid holly and ivy and shrub hedge and that is where they are nesting I believe.
ReplyDeleteI love to see dunnocks, also wrens, which I think some people think are bad luck. We have a large population of sparrows here - they certainly outnumber the other garden birds.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
I'm not good at identifying most birds but I still enjoy seeing and hearing them.
ReplyDeleteWe have dunnocks, or 'shufflewings' in the trees at the front of our house. Busy little birds - I love seeing them.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbours hedge and the hedges alongside the canal are full of Dunnocks, or as I have been calling them hedge sparrows. When I opened the front door the other day to get the water bowl that I have out for passing dogs, there were half a dozen quite young birds sat on the rim drinking out of it. I thought the water level was going down quicker than usual.
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone - I sometimes see a wren in the shrubs but not often. Never heard Dunnocks called Shufflewings - that's a new one to me.
ReplyDeleteSadly there is nowhere in my small garden for anything to make a nest.
The Dunnock is entirely new to me.
ReplyDeleteI do not think we have anything similar in the US.
I hung one smallish birdhouse in the Magnolia tree and every year a sparrow moves in. The young are in the nest now and when I walk by, they chirp and the mom complains loudly.