Dunnock
The Dunnock is a small passerine bird and the most widespread member of the genus Prunella, the accentor family which otherwise consists of mountain species. Other common names for the Dunnock include the Hedge Sparrow or Hedge Accentor.
The Dunnock is about the size of a Robin. It has a generally drab brown streaked appearance with a grey head and a fine pointed bill. Both sexes are similar. It is quiet and unobtrusive and is frequently seen on its own, creeping along and moving with a rather nervous, shuffling gait often flicking its wings.
The Dunnock is native to large areas of Eurasia where it is the only commonly found accentor in lowland areas. It can be found throughout the UK all the year round in any well vegetated areas with scrub, brambles and hedges and also in deciduous woodland, farmland edges, parks and gardens.
The Dunnock is territorial and may engage in conflict with other birds that encroach upon their nesting areas.
The Dunnock possesses variable mating systems. Females are often polyandrous, breeding with 2 or more males at once which is quite rare among birds. This multiple mating system leads to the development of sperm competition amongst the male suitors. DNA fingerprinting has shown that chicks within a brood often have different fathers depending on the success of the males at monopolising the female. Males try to ensure their paternity by pecking at the cloaca of the female to stimulate ejection of rival males' sperm. Males provide parental care in proportion to their mating success so 2 males and a female can commonly be seen provisioning nestlings at one nest.
Other mating systems also exist within Dunnock populations depending on the ratio of male to females and the overlap of territories. When only a single female and a single male territory overlap, monogamy is preferred. Sometimes, 2 or 3 adjacent female territories overlap a single male territory and so polygyny is favoured with the male monopolising several females. Polygynandry also exists in which 2 males jointly defend a territory containing several females. Polyandry, however, is the most common mating system of the Dunnock.
Depending on the population, males generally have the best reproductive success in polygynous populations whilst females have the advantage during polyandry. Studies have illustrated the fluidity of Dunnock mating systems. When food is in abundance, female territory size is reduced drastically. Consequently, males can more easily monopolise the females. Thus, the mating system can be shifted from one that favours female success (polyandry) to one that favours male success (monogamy, polygynandry or polygyny).
The Dunnock builds a neat nest predominantly from twigs and moss and lined with soft materials such as wool or feathers which is located low in a bush. The female typically lays 3 to 5 eggs. Broods, depending on the population, can be raised by a lone female, multiple females with the part-time help of a male, multiple females with full-time help by a male or by multiple females and multiple males. Parental care varies according to the type of relationship.
Date: 18th September 2011
Location: Cromford Canal, Derbyshire
The Dunnock is about the size of a Robin. It has a generally drab brown streaked appearance with a grey head and a fine pointed bill. Both sexes are similar. It is quiet and unobtrusive and is frequently seen on its own, creeping along and moving with a rather nervous, shuffling gait often flicking its wings.
The Dunnock is native to large areas of Eurasia where it is the only commonly found accentor in lowland areas. It can be found throughout the UK all the year round in any well vegetated areas with scrub, brambles and hedges and also in deciduous woodland, farmland edges, parks and gardens.
The Dunnock is territorial and may engage in conflict with other birds that encroach upon their nesting areas.
The Dunnock possesses variable mating systems. Females are often polyandrous, breeding with 2 or more males at once which is quite rare among birds. This multiple mating system leads to the development of sperm competition amongst the male suitors. DNA fingerprinting has shown that chicks within a brood often have different fathers depending on the success of the males at monopolising the female. Males try to ensure their paternity by pecking at the cloaca of the female to stimulate ejection of rival males' sperm. Males provide parental care in proportion to their mating success so 2 males and a female can commonly be seen provisioning nestlings at one nest.
Other mating systems also exist within Dunnock populations depending on the ratio of male to females and the overlap of territories. When only a single female and a single male territory overlap, monogamy is preferred. Sometimes, 2 or 3 adjacent female territories overlap a single male territory and so polygyny is favoured with the male monopolising several females. Polygynandry also exists in which 2 males jointly defend a territory containing several females. Polyandry, however, is the most common mating system of the Dunnock.
Depending on the population, males generally have the best reproductive success in polygynous populations whilst females have the advantage during polyandry. Studies have illustrated the fluidity of Dunnock mating systems. When food is in abundance, female territory size is reduced drastically. Consequently, males can more easily monopolise the females. Thus, the mating system can be shifted from one that favours female success (polyandry) to one that favours male success (monogamy, polygynandry or polygyny).
The Dunnock builds a neat nest predominantly from twigs and moss and lined with soft materials such as wool or feathers which is located low in a bush. The female typically lays 3 to 5 eggs. Broods, depending on the population, can be raised by a lone female, multiple females with the part-time help of a male, multiple females with full-time help by a male or by multiple females and multiple males. Parental care varies according to the type of relationship.
Date: 18th September 2011
Location: Cromford Canal, Derbyshire
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