- Lifespan
- 2–3 years in the wild, with occasional individuals reaching 10+ years
- Size & Weight
- 14–15 cm, wingspan 19–21 cm; 17–19 g
- Habitat
- Dense shrubland, woodland edges, hedgerows, and gardens with thick cover, typically in lowland and upland areas across the UK.
- UK Distribution
- Year-round resident throughout England, Wales, and Scotland; populations supplemented by Continental migrants in winter, making it more abundant in autumn and winter.
- Diet
- Primarily small insects and invertebrates including spiders, flies, and caterpillars during breeding season; switches to seeds and berries in winter, especially from ivy, mistletoe, and groundsel.
- Prey
- Small invertebrates such as insects, spiders, and caterpillars; also seeds and berries
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, domestic and feral cats, jays, and occasionally other corvids
- Mating Season
- March to July
- Breeding
- 2–3 broods per year; clutch size of 3–5 pale blue-green eggs; incubation period 12–13 days; fledging at 12–13 days. Often raises two successive broods.
- Behaviour
- Dunnocks are skulking, secretive birds that spend much time foraging on or near the ground in dense vegetation. They are famously promiscuous, with females often mating with multiple males within a territory, leading to complex breeding systems where males may care for chicks not their own. They produce a distinctive thin, wren-like song and a sharp 'tit' call.