Dunnocks are also known as ‘hedge sparrows’ but they’re not sparrows at all – they’re actually the only UK member of the bird family called the Accentors.
You don’t have to look far to see Dunnocks, as they’re very common garden birds throughout much of the UK (except Shetland).
They’re quite happy living in small gardens, even in cities and suburban areas, but they’re particularly at home in gardens where there are dense shrubs they can nest in, and bird feeders for them to pick up scraps from. You can also see them in woodland and parks, farmland and moorland, except in remote upland areas.
Dunnocks spend most of their time hopping around on the ground in search of spiders and insects. They’re often described as ‘mouse-like’, because of the way they creep about in the undergrowth. Dunnocks are usually alone or in pairs, whereas similar-looking House Sparrows prefer to hang out in groups. Dunnocks will occasionally visit feeders, but you’re more likely to see them picking up spilt food on the ground underneath.
Dunnocks have a loud, squeaky warbling song, that sounds a bit like someone writing on a whiteboard with a creaky pen. They sing from bushes or high in trees, and you’ll mostly hear them in the first half of the year. Their call is a squeaky ‘peep’.
For an unassuming little bird, Dunnocks have some surprisingly complicated breeding partnerships. Pairs consisting of one female and one male are unusual. Often one female will openly mate with one male and then secretly mate with another, which encourages both males to care for any chicks. But sometimes, the males will mate with multiple females, and help look after several broods at once. Even more confusingly, there are situations where both males and females end up with multiple partners across multiple territories. But whatever the set-up, they like to build their cup-shaped nests in dense shrubs or bushes, and gardens are often perfect for their needs.
Have you seen a small, brown bird in your garden and you’re not sure what it is? There are lots of potential contenders, so take a look at these ID tips to help you to work out the identity of your mystery bird.