Habitat selection in the DunnockPrunella modularisin northern England

Abstract

The habitat preferences of the Dunnock Prunella modularis, and their seasonal dependence, were studied in an area on the west side of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Preferences were determined from counts on transects in suburban gardens, deciduous woodland, coniferous woodland, farmland and moorland in both summer and winter. Dunnocks were found throughout the study area, even on open moorland and conifer plantations more than 300 m above sea level. In addition a wide, but inexplicable, year to year variation was observed in the number of birds found in deciduous woodland. The number of registrations per km varied significantly between habitats, with the highest count occurring in gardens. However, no statistically significant changes in the proportion of birds in each habitat were detected between summer and winter.