Bird ID

Hello,

I think this is a Dunnock with leucism. It looks like the black melanin is very reduced or absent but brown melanin is still present. The bill is too thin for a finch or bunting species, and structure looks about right for Dunnock, there's also a hint of streaking on the belly. Amazing-looking bird! Happy new year :)

Hi Doggie

Thanks for the information, I did wonder about the bill, I thought it was too thin for a finch or bunting but I also thought it wasn't thin enough for another species, sort of between the two.

Mick

Thanks for the information, I did wonder about the bill, I thought it was too thin for a finch or bunting but I also thought it wasn't thin enough for another species, sort of between the two. I also thought could it be a robin? When you start looking on the web it suddenly becomes any number of birds and your answer is just what I was looking for.

All the best to you and Doggie

Mick

I considered Robin but think the eye is too small and the wings too short. In fact the shortness of the wings made me think about Cetti's Warbler. But on shape generally I think Dunnock is the likeliest (and Dunnocks do have that sort of mid-range bill size). Also the colour distribution looks right for a Dunnock that has lost its black/dark brown eumelanin but retained its red/brown phaeomelanin.

Hi Aiki

Thanks for even more information...............do you know what time it hatched;-)

A bit more for you to answer, it was very tame but quickly moving about in the scrub, it came very close and didn't seem bothered, although it kept getting behind grasses and such, it was too busy feeding. This made me wonder if it was migratory and was so hungry it lost it's fear of man, I've seen this before, I once watched some crossbills in a feeding frenzy on the east coast and one of them even let me pull the branch down it was hanging on, wasn't bothered about me at all. I'm told this is a sign of a bird that has just migrated and is more interested in feeding?

I think I will go with dunnock though, now you mention it I can see that it is, I'm sure.

I'm going to try and get some more pics if it's still about, with more clarity, so we can take a better look.

Once again many thanks.

Mick

HI Alan

When I looked on the web, I could see all sorts of birds I thought it could be but when somebody with the knowledge Aiki has, the you can see it's what they say, a bit like a slap in the face, "yes of course, it's a dunnock!" It hits you straight away.

You will have to come here and have a look around, you're not that far away. This site has an excellent species list, not bad for a former colliery spoil heap, such has roe deer, water vole, water shrew, g c newts, grass snake, harvest mice and so much more.

Mick

When the weather improves!!!!!!!!!!!

Get your sowester on and a plastic mac and get out there;-)