Dunnock of "braun", "brown", and the specific "modularis" is from Latin "modulus", "melody". A European robin-sized bird, the dunnock typically measures 13.5–14 cm in length. It possesses a streaked back, somewhat resembling a small house sparrow. Like that species, the dunnock has a drab appearance which may have evolved to avoid predation. It is brownish underneath, and has a fine pointed bill. Adults have a grey head, and both sexes are similarly coloured. Unlike any similar sized small brown bird, Dunnocks exhibit frequent wing flicking, especially when engaged in territorial disputes or when competing for mating rights. Dunnocks are native to
Bird colony (Enantiornithes), in sediments from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Romania. Approximately 13% of all bird species nest colonially. Nesting colonies are very common among seabirds on cliffs and islands. Nearly 95% of seabirds are colonial, leading to the usage, seabird colony, sometimes called a rookery. Many species of terns nest in colonies on the ground. Herons, egrets, storks, and other large waterfowl also nest communally in what are called heronries. Colony nesting may be an evolutionary response to a shortage of safe nesting sites and abundance or unpredictable food sources which are far away from the nest sites. Colony-nesting birds