Dunnock - standoff, Heesch, Netherlands
Another common visitor to our garden, this bird is usually hopping around low in the bushes, finding bugs, it doesn't fly much. It makes up for its dull appearance with a colorful love life: both males and females are known to have multiple partners. Sexes look very similar, so I don't know the sex of this one, it can only be determined by song.
They are relatively shy, always ensuring there's a good 5m between you and them. During the breeding season they are a little less nervous.
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.
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