# Dunnock (*Prunella modularis*) The Dunnock is a small, brown bird that loves to hop around gardens and parks. It has a sweet song and often forages for insects and seeds on the ground. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Dunnock](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dunnock_crop2.jpg&width=800) Photo: Smalljim, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dunnock_crop2.jpg) ## Appearance The Dunnock is a small, shy brown bird, often mistaken for a House Sparrow, but it has a sleek grey head and breast, with streaky brown plumage on its back and wings. Its slender bill and orange-brown legs further distinguish it. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Prunellidae - **Genus:** Prunella ## Interesting facts - Dunnock parents often feed cuckoo chicks even though they're huge! - Female dunnocks can lay up to three clutches of eggs in one year! - Their song is a surprisingly high-pitched, warbling trill. - They are also called 'Hedge Accentors' because they love hedges! ## Special abilities - **Love Triangle Master:** Dunnocks can have complex breeding arrangements with multiple partners, which helps them raise more chicks successfully. - **Hidden Helper:** Its streaky brown and grey feathers provide excellent camouflage, allowing the Dunnock to disappear into hedges and bushes from predators. - **Undergrowth Navigator:** Dunnocks have a streamlined body shape that helps them move quietly and efficiently through thick bushes and tangled plants to find food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 13-14.5 cm - **Wingspan:** 19-21 cm - **Weight:** 0.019-0.021 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-9 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-6 - **Incubation:** 11-12 days ## Diet & Feeding Dunnocks are omnivores that enjoy both tiny insects and tasty seeds. - **Age differences:** Young chicks primarily eat insects, shifting to a broader omnivorous diet as adults. - **Primary Foods:** insects, spiders, beetles, seeds, berries - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Eurasian Sparrowhawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-sparrowhawk) (*Accipiter nisus*) — A key predator of small garden birds like the Dunnock. - **Parasitizes:** Common Cuckoo (*Cuculus canorus*) — Lays its eggs in Dunnock nests for them to raise. - **Eats:** Common Earthworm (*Lumbricus terrestris*) — Dunnocks forage on the ground for these and other invertebrates. - **Shelter:** [Hawthorn](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hawthorn) (*Crataegus monogyna*) — Provides dense cover for nesting and hiding from predators. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance, and don't try to catch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Dunnock? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Dunnock? 13-14.5 cm ### What is Dunnock's wingspan? 19-21 cm ### How much does Dunnock weigh? 0.019-0.021 kg ### How long does Dunnock live? 2-9 years ### How fast can Dunnock move? 35 km/h ### What does Dunnock eat? Dunnocks are omnivores that enjoy both tiny insects and tasty seeds. ### Where is Dunnock usually found? Urban areas ## Where to spot - [Fota Wildlife Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fota-wildlife-park) — Municipal District of Cobh, IE · Zoo - [Naturpark Hüttener Berge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturpark-huttener-berge) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Dunnock: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dunnock)