The Dunnock is also known as the Hedge Sparrow, although it is not a member of the Sparrow family. It can be found throughout England in woodlands, on farmlands, in parks and in gardens. The Dunnock doesn’t tend to take food directly from bird tables or use bird feeders, but usually picks up any food that may have been dropped on the ground by other birds. The short and fast warbling songs of these birds can be heard between January and July.

The Dunnock is a rich brown coloured bird that has dark streaks on its back. It has a reddish brown crest and a patch of reddish brown feathers under each eye. It has a grey-blue coloured face and chest and a thin pointed beak which is black-brown. Both the male and the female are similar in appearance.

Dunnocks spend a lot of time on the ground shuffling through vegetation in search of insects, snails, worms and seeds. They look quite nervous on the ground because as they move they often flick their wings and bend their bodies as though they are crouching. Dunnocks are generally solitary birds, but sometimes they will feed along side other birds if food is plentiful.