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
Common blackbird dark Places about it", and it symbolised resignation in the 17th century tragic play "The Duchess of Malfi"; an alternate connotation is vigilance, the bird's clear cry warning of danger. The common blackbird is the national bird of Sweden, which has a breeding population of 1–2 million pairs, and was featured on a 30 öre Christmas postage stamp in 1970; it has also featured on a number of other stamps issued by European and Asian countries, including a 1966 4d British stamp and a 1998 Irish 30p stamp. This bird—arguably—also gives rise to the Serbian name for Kosovo, which is