Scientific name: Prunella modularis
Size: Up to 145mm
Distribution: Found throughout the UK
Months seen: All year round
Habitat: Parks, gardens, open woodland and areas with hedges and scrub
Food: Invertebrates and seeds
Special features: The dunnocks plumage is similar to the house sparrow, being mostly brown with black streaks, although the head and neck has a lot of blue-grey colouring and the underparts are generally darker. The beak is dark coloured and very thin, and the legs are an orange-brown color. The males and females are similar but the male frequently has more of the blue-grey colouring on the head.
Dunnocks are shy birds and like to be close to cover. Their flight is very jerky, and they spend a lot of time on the ground.
Dunnocks are sometimes called 'Hedge Sparrows' or 'Hedge Accentors'.