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| | ;Prunella modularis | | ;Prunella modularis |
| | [[Image:Hedge_Accentor.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Steve G]] | | [[Image:Hedge_Accentor.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Steve G]] |
| | ==Identification== | | ==Identification== |
| − | Black and brown streaks on back, streaked brown cap, grey throat, brown eye. Fine dark bill.
| + | aka Dunnock. |
| − | aka Dunnock. L 13-14.5 cm. Breeds in parks, gardens, open woodland, heaths and commons with gorse or scrub, areas with hedges and thick shrubbery, also young conifer stands; but in N Europe mainly in dense spruce plantations, also in juniper country and upland forest. Resident; migratory in N. Rather shy and retiring in summer. Food mostly insects. Nests in thick bush or low down in conifer. This is a very common garden bird in the UK. Yet beginners often have trouble identifying it. One of the things to look for is the fine, insect-eating bill which immediately separates it from a sparrow. (In the past the species was often called 'hedge sparrow'.) The grey neckband is also a good field mark, which immediately rules out any warbler (which its song might mistakenly suggest). It also lacks the pale supercilium which many warblers exhibit. | |
| − | It is a rather unobtrusive bird, sometimes hopping around flowerbeds or at the base of bushes but it is not particularly shy and you quite often see it on patios or roadsides. Subspecies About 8 races occur in the Region but differences are mainly clinal. British birds, occidentalis, are darker than birds from mainland Europe, especially on head and neck but also below, Irish and Hebridean birds hebridium, are darker still with rufous-brown plumage on wings. The north-west Turkish race euxina has paler streaking and paler grey crown than nominate and Caucasian race obscura is much paler and duller than other races with whitish mottling on breast.
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| | + | 13-14.5 cm. Black and brown streaks on back, streaked brown cap, grey throat, brown eye. Fine dark bill. |
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| | ==Distribution== | | ==Distribution== |
| − | Seen in the UK all year. Found in North and Eastern Europe only in Summer. | + | Seen in the [[UK]] all year. Found in North and Eastern [[Europe]] only in Summer. |
| − | Very common and widespread over much of the north of the Region. Breeds throughout the British Isles, northern Iberia and France east across northern Europe including Scandinavia and northern Russia to the Urals. In the south found in the northern half of Italy but scarce and local in the Balkans and northern Greece, also parts of northern Turkey and throughout the Caucasus.
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| − | From the British Isles to central Europe and from the Balkans to the Caucasus birds are mainly resident or undergo only short-distance dispersal. Further east and north populations are more strongly migratory and the winter range extends from southern Spain to Turkey and the Middle East and on many Mediterranean islands. Scarce or rare winter visitor to parts of North Africa.
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| − | Vagrants recorded north to Svalbard, Bear Island, Iceland and the Faroes, and in the south as far as the Canary Islands, Mauritania, Algeria, Libya and Kuwait.
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| | ==Taxonomy== | | ==Taxonomy== |
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| | ==Behaviour== | | ==Behaviour== |
| | Nest small grassy cup, lined with hair, moss, feathers, wool in hedge or bush. 2 or 3 broods. | | Nest small grassy cup, lined with hair, moss, feathers, wool in hedge or bush. 2 or 3 broods. |
| − | Forages on the ground, often close to cover, picks up seeds and small insects.<br> | + | Forages on the ground, often close to cover, picks up seeds and small insects |
| − | Loud penetrating Tseep. Song high pitched fast warble.
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- Prunella modularis
Identification
aka Dunnock.
13-14.5 cm. Black and brown streaks on back, streaked brown cap, grey throat, brown eye. Fine dark bill.
Distribution
Seen in the UK all year. Found in North and Eastern Europe only in Summer.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Hedges, Woodland edges, parks & gardens. In mountains and the north occurs in pine, larch and spruce forests, and in willow, birch and alder scrub.
Behaviour
Nest small grassy cup, lined with hair, moss, feathers, wool in hedge or bush. 2 or 3 broods.
Forages on the ground, often close to cover, picks up seeds and small insects
External Links
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Prunella modularis (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
