Dunnock - Prunella Modularis
aka Hedge Sparrow
The dunnock (Prunella modularis) is a small passerine, or perching bird, found throughout temperate Europe and into Asia. Dunnocks have also been successfully introduced into New Zealand. It is by far the most widespread member of the accentor family, which otherwise consists of mountain species. Other common names of the dunnock include the hedge accentor, hedge sparrow, or hedge warbler.
Dunnocks are native to large areas of Eurasia, inhabiting much of Europe including Lebanon, northern Iran, and the Caucasus. They are the only commonly found accentor in lowland areas, all the others inhabit upland areas
Dunnocks were successfully introduced into New Zealand during the 19th century, and are now widely distributed around the country and some offshore islands. Favourite habitats include woodlands, shrubs, gardens, and hedgerows where they typically feed on the ground often seeking out detritivores as food.
The dunnock possesses variable mating systems. Females are often polyandrous, breeding with two or more males at once, which is quite rare among birds. This multiple mating system leads to the development of sperm competition amongst the male suitors. DNA fingerprinting has shown that chicks within a brood often have different fathers, depending on the success of the males at monopolising the female.Males try to ensure their paternity by pecking at the cloaca of the female to stimulate ejection of rival males' sperm. Dunnocks take just one-tenth of a second to copulate and can mate more than 100 times a day. Males provide parental care in proportion to their mating success, so two males and a female can commonly be seen provisioning nestlings at one nest.
Population:
UK breeding:
2,300,000 territories
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Dunnock - Prunella Modularis
aka Hedge Sparrow
Tags: Dunnock Dunnocks Hedgerows Avian Animal Animals Wildlife. Wetlands Woodlands Song-Birds Shore-Birds Moorland Marshland Meadows Garden-Birds Glades Parklands Parks Gorse Bushes Countryside Nature NGC coth5 NPC Birds. Wildbirds Hedge Sparrow
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Dunnock - Prunella Modularis
aka Hedge Sparrow
Tags: Dunnock Dunnocks Avian Animal Wildlife. Woodlands Heathland Hedgerows Garden-Birds Song-Birds Sparrow Countryside Nature coth5 Birds. Wildbirds Hedge Sparrow
© All Rights Reserved
Dunnock - Prunella Modularis
aka Hedge Sparrow
Tags: Dunnock Dunnocks Hedgerows Avian Animal Wildlife. Woodlands Countryside Copse Farmland Coastal-Birds Garden-Birds Song-Birds Scrub coth5 NGC sunrays+5 Birds. Wildbirds Hedge Sparrow NPC
© All Rights Reserved
Dunnock - Prunella Modularis
aka Hedge Sparrow
Tags: Dunnock Dunnocks Hedgerows Avian Animal Wildlife. Woodlands Song-Birds Garden-Birds Countryside Parklands Nature NGC NPC Birds. Wildbirds Hedge Sparrow
© All Rights Reserved