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Dunnock (Prunella modularis) — photo 1 of 5
© Smalljim CC BY 3.0

Accentors · Perching birds

Dunnock

Prunella modularis

Year-round

Voice

Call

Sonothèque ADVL

0:10

Song

Tim Vochten

0:11

Song

Raoul Kima

2:00

How to recognize it

  • Sparrow-sized, 13–14.5 cm

  • Brown and grey-brown, no bold markings

  • Thin dark bill, pale underparts

  • Frequent wing-flicking; runs on the ground, not hopping

About the species

The dunnock often slips along the ground and through low cover, moving quickly with short steps and frequent tail flicks. When disturbed, it hops to a branch, looks around, and only leaves if the danger seems close.

Its voice is easy to notice once you learn it: a sharp "tseep," a thin trilling note, and in spring a fast, delicate song. Males sing from a high perch, and outside the breeding season the species stays fairly quiet.

It uses woodlands, shrubs, gardens, hedgerows, and other places with thick undergrowth. Most food is picked up on the ground — insects, spiders, other small invertebrates, and later in the year seeds and berries — and in some areas it stays year-round while others move south for winter.

Where to find

  • In mature parks and gardens with thick shrubs, the Dunnock often shows itself on the ground, darting under leaf litter for insects and spiders.

  • Along canal banks, pond edges, and reed fringes, look low by the water in the morning as it slips out to feed on the open shore.

  • By hedges and overgrown courtyard gardens, a male may give away its spot with a thin, tinkling song from the top of a bush or small tree.

  • In autumn and winter on quiet lawns, especially under shrubs and at the edge of fallen leaves, it walks in short steps while picking at seeds and crumbs.

You might also see

Sources