Country intro
Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
As my home office has a view on my garden, I tend to know all bird species and individuals that appear. Yet I had not seen this specie before, I didn't even know what it was. It turns out its a Dunnock, fairly dull in appearance and quite shy, often found on the ground harvesting insects.
My bird guide mentions this one of the least known widespread birds in the Netherlands.
The dunnock is a small passerine, or perching bird, found throughout temperate Europe and into Asian Russia. Dunnocks have also been successfully introduced into New Zealand. It is by far the most widespread member of the accentor family, which otherwise consists of mountain species. Other common names of the dunnock include the hedge accentor, hedge sparrow, or hedge warbler.
