Dunnock  (Prunella modularis)

The dunnock is a common bird of gardens, woods and parks, familiar to many people still under its old name of hedge sparrow. The name is slightly misleading as, while the bird does indeed frequent hedgerows, it is not related to sparrows. Dunnocks belong to a family known as accentors, small ground and scrub-dwelling birds that hop around in a characteristically crouched posture. Both sexes are similar in appearance, being predominantly brown with a striated back and belly, and with a grey head and noticeably brown eyes. Young birds are more boldly streaked with dark brown or black, these marks also extending to the head and neck, a feature not found on the adults. Dunnocks resemble robins in their habits and many people still confuse the young of the two species. The song of the dunnock is nowhere as melodic as that of the robin, consisting of a loud, clear but tuneless series of tinkling notes, often delivered from the top of a bush or a prominent branch of a tree. However, the birds sing this ditty throughout the year, and it is often the only birdsong to be heard during the otherwise dull days of late autumn and winter.