Dunnock

An unobtrusive hedge-bottom bird, not a sparrow despite its old nickname.

A recording has not been added yet. Use the identification notes below for now.

I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Start close to home

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: All year
Where to start: Gardens and parks with dense hedges, shrubs and leaf litter.
What to do when you arrive: Quietly watch the ground at shrub edges for a grey-brown bird taking small steps. The fine bill and grey head and breast help separate it from sparrows.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes

How to identify it

Adults have a grey head and breast, streaked brown back and fine pointed bill, unlike a sparrow's thick bill. Juveniles are more heavily streaked and less grey.

Habitat

Gardens, hedges, woodland edges and parks.

Behaviour

Feeds on small invertebrates and seeds on the ground, often flicking its wings.

When to look

All year

Where to look

Gardens and parks with dense hedges, shrubs and leaf litter.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

Further reading:BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · RSPB ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

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