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Dunnock

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

                     iDunnock

                             Conservation status

   Least Concern (LC)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Passeriformes
   Family:  Prunellidae
   Genus:   Prunella
   Species: P. modularis

                                Binomial name

   Prunella modularis
   (Linnaeus, 1758)

   The Dunnock, Prunella modularis, is a small passerine bird found
   throughout temperate Europe and into Asia. It is by far the most
   widespread member of the accentor family, which otherwise consists of
   mountain species. It is sometimes called the Hedge Accentor, Hedge
   Sparrow or Hedge Warbler.

   It is a resident in the milder west and south of its range, but as an
   insectivore, must migrate south from the colder parts of its range. It
   is a bird of woodland, shrub and gardens. It builds a neat nest low in
   a bush or conifer, laying 3-5 unspotted blue eggs.

   The Dunnock will not be seen using a bird feeder, but prefers to pick
   up food from the ground which has been dropped by other birds.

   It is a host of the Common Cuckoo. It is likely that this association
   is recent, since other Cuckoo hosts have learned to discriminate
   between eggs, and the Cuckoo has consequently evolved eggs that match
   those of its host. In the case of the Dunnock, there is no resemblance,
   yet the Cuckoo eggs are accepted.

   This is a Robin-sized bird, 13.5-14 cm in length, fairly drab in
   appearance, and somewhat resembling a small House Sparrow with its
   streaked back and general shape. It is also brownish underneath, and
   has a fine pointed bill. Adults have a grey head. The sexes are
   similarly coloured.

   This species makes up for its drab appearance with its breeding
   behaviour. Females are often polyandrous, breeding with two males at
   once, and thus giving rise to sperm competition. Males compete for
   mating access to the female, but DNA fingerprinting has shown that
   chicks within broods often have different fathers, depending on their
   success at monopolising access to the fertile female. Males provide
   parental care in proportion to their mating success, so it is not
   uncommon to see two males and a female provisioning nestlings at one
   nest. Polyandry is rare in birds, with only about 2% of species showing
   such a mating system; the majority are monogamous, where one male and
   one female breed together.

   The song is thin and tinkling.

Gallery

   Adult in winter.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunnock"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
