Birdwatching – the Dunnock

AS outdoor enthusiasts, many of you are keen birdwatchers so, in association with our sister magazine Birdwatch, we aim to bring you articles that focus on your hobby.

Today, we look at the secret life of the Dunnock.

One of our shiest garden birds, the small, brown Dunnock actually lives quite a colourful life. The name Dunnock literally means ‘little brown job’, and although it was once called Hedge Sparrow, it is not related to sparrows and is actually an accentor.

Dunnock is known colloquially as ‘shufflewing’ and ‘foolish sparrow’. The first name comes from its wing-shivering display, which the male gives as it moves with its characteristic hopping gait.

The second is due to Dunnocks often being chosen as foster parents by Cuckoos. As Dunnock eggs are bright blue and unspotted, while cuckoo eggs are pale with spots, it seems that Dunnocks are easily fooled into accepting them.

The species is mainly found in rural and suburban gardens. It is much less evident in more urban habitats. In the late 1970s Dunnock numbers declined rapidly, with a maximum decrease of 36 per cent; however, from the mid-1990s the species began to recover. The BTO’s Garden BirdWatch reveals that Dunnocks are now found in about two thirds of gardens during the summer, rising to more than 80 per cent of gardens in winter.

British Dunnocks rarely move far from their home range, with most never travelling further than a kilometre. The race hebridium is found in Ireland and western Scotland, while occidentalis is found in the rest of Britain and western France. The nominate race, modularis, is found in northern and central Europe, and is migratory, moving south to Iberia in winter.

There are, however, occasional irruptions involving young British birds. These occur in late autumn, and are mostly detected along the east coast. Otherwise, spring and autumn birds arriving on the east coast are from the migratory race modularis moving to and from Scandinavia.

Most often seen at garden edges, the species only reluctantly ventures out into the open. Predominantly a ground feeder, it will take insects and other invertebrates among fallen leaves, as well as seeds and berries in the autumn and winter. Birds will feed underneath bird tables but rarely venture onto them.

Studies have revealed that a Dunnock’s sex life in our gardens is fascinating. Instead of a simple male-female pairing (about a third of pairings are these), they can be much more adventurous.

In Dunnock populations there are usually more females than males and this may result in a female accepting two or more partners. The second or ‘beta’ male will help with maintaining the territory and will seize every chance to mate with the female.

Dominant males may take on more than one territory and can also have two or more partners; in addition, males will often pursue neighbouring females.

DNA studies have shown that chicks in same brood can have different fathers. To ensure successful mating, a male will peck at the cloaca of a female, forcing her to expel any sperm from a previous mating, before mating with her himself. The female will encourage a second male to stay as he will help to feed and care for the young, even if they are not his.

So watch your Dunnocks closely and you might find your garden birds have some interesting partnerships, with perhaps even ‘pairs’ that involve two males and two females, known as polygynandry.

• Read our feature on birdwatching and binoculars by clicking here


• The July issue of Birdwatch magazine comes with a free CD featuring a sample of 'Birding from the Hip' featuring narrated stories from the new Sound Approach title of the same name. Click here to order a copy.

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