Dunnocks are sweet little hedgerow birds, often called “hedge sparrows' but of course they are not a sparrow!
They have a different colouration and a much thinner beak than the sparrow. The males and females are almost identical in colouration. They have sharp pointed little bills; well developed for finding insects in nooks and crannies. Whilst they are designed to eat insects, spiders and worms, they will also eat seeds, particularly in the winter time when natural food is scarce. They hunt for food on the ground, often hopping around in dead leaves under hedges, bushes and woodland. They will perch on low branches and can fly only small distances. When they sing they have a high-pitched whistling ‘tseep’.
Whilst they appear quite shy birds, they have a reputation as the naughty bird of the hedgerows, being quite promiscuous and often having quite a few partners! However after promiscuity comes duty and both sexes will put the effort in to nest building. They can have 2 or 3 broods a year and breeding usually starts at the end of March or early April. So look out for Dunnocks nesting! They usually have 4 or 5 bright blue or white eggs. The female will incubate the eggs for about 12 days and then its onto joint parental responsibility as both work hard to bring up their offspring.
If Spring is very cold, Dunnocks will be grateful for some seed supplementation. I would recommend you sprinkle something like our Feeder Mix or Original Farm Mix at the base of hedges, which will allow them to feed but stay in the protective cloak of a hedge/bush.
