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Dunnock

Prunella modularis


Where is it found?

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Woodland, scrubland, farmland, hedgerows and gardens

Diet and foraging method

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Picks up seeds and invertebrates from the ground or searches plants for prey.
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Key adaptations

Dunnock plumage is drab browns and greys providing superb camouflage.

Social organisation and mating system

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Mainly solitary
Very flexible mating system that depends on the quality of the environment and whether individuals ranges overlap.
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Monogamy
Polyandry
Polygyny
Polygynandry

Did you know that...?

The Dunnock is a common host bird for the Cuckoo. Cuckoos lay their eggs in Dunnock nests and Dunnocks incubate this foreign egg even though it looks rather different to their own egg.

Taxonomy

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Picture credits:

Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Prunella modularis02". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunella_modularis02.jpg#/media/File:Prunella_modularis02.jpg
"Dunnock on Log (12860873753)" by Jacob Spinks from Northamptonshire, England - Dunnock on Log. Licenced under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dunnock_on_Log_(12860873753).jpg#/media/File:Dunnock_on_Log_(12860873753).jpg
"Dunnock eggs". Licenced under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dunnock_eggs.jpg#/media/File:Dunnock_eggs.jpg
"Dunnock (Prunella modularis) juveniles close" by Walcoford - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dunnock_(Prunella_modularis)_juveniles_close.jpg#/media/File:Dunnock_(Prunella_modularis)_juveniles_close.jpg
"Prunella modularis01". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunella_modularis01.jpg#/media/File:Prunella_modularis01.jpg
"Prunella modularis montanella". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunella_modularis_montanella.jpg#/media/File:Prunella_modularis_montanella.jpg

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