Sorry to be pedantic, but spiders are not insects — they are arachnids. Otherwise a good article. 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. 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. I have a exspensive six port feeder with black sunflower seeds in not eaten why. 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. Is it because no one buys seeds for them they only get bread?
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? 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.
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? He loves bright green caterpillars! Very good read and information. I have a little brown bird comes to my garden.
It sounds like the Dunnok it red legs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. All about the Dunnock View Larger Image. Dunnock Prunella modularis. Etymology and classification. Mating behaviour.
Interactive Dunnock. Be safe Gordon. I went to the garden center the other day and saw the usual range of insect feed, there is also quite a lot available online. Especially mealworms! I have dunnocks and one has even learned how to eat fat balls hanging on a wire and despite the typical secretive mouse-like behaviour it seems to have split personality as one frequently sits on my roof or wall and sings very loudly indeed.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Table of Contents. Buy Dunnock Food on Amazon. Garden Bird Feeder Monthly Newsletter Sign up to our Newsletter to receive monthly updates on feeding and caring for our garden birds. At first glance the Dunnock, also known as Hedge Sparrow or Hedge Accentor, looks like a dull sleek sparrow.
On closer inspection it is quite attractive with its blue-grey head and breast, light and dark brown streaky back, brown streaked flanks and pink legs. The black bill is finer than that of a sparrow, because it feeds mainly on insects and not seed. They are the only Accentor to live in lowland areas, all others live in upland and mountainous regions. The Dunnock's song is a pleasant surprise also; an unhurried sweet warble which can be confused with the Wren or Robin , but lacks the Wren's intensity and the Robin's sweetness.
The main call is shrill, persistent "tseep", which often betrays its otherwise inconspicuous presence. The Dunnock is predominantly a ground feeder and feeds on insects, such as beetles and ants, and spiders, which it gleans from leaf litter, among plant roots, etc. In the autumn and winter they will eat seeds and berries.
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