Definition

Noun 1. A small brownish European songbird: Prunella modularis is the scientific name for a specific species of small, predominantly brown songbird native to Europe. It is commonly known by its non-scientific name, the dunnock or hedge sparrow.

Usage

• The word is used in formal, scientific, ornithological, and academic contexts to precisely identify this specific bird species. It is not typically used in everyday conversation.
• In everyday English, the common names dunnock or hedge sparrow are used.

Examples

• Scientific Context: "The study focused on the foraging behavior of in woodland habitats."
• Descriptive Context: "A , with its subtle brown and grey plumage, was hopping beneath the garden feeder."

Advanced Usage

• The name follows the binomial nomenclature system (Genus , species ). When written, the genus is capitalized, and the species is in lowercase, and the entire term is often italicized.

Variants and Related Words

• Dunnock (n.): The most common English name for this bird.
• Hedge Sparrow (n.): A traditional common name, though it is not a true sparrow.
• Accentor (n.): The common name for birds belonging to the genus . is the hedge accentor.

Synonyms

• Dunnock
• Hedge Sparrow
• Hedge Accentor

Notes

• While "hedge sparrow" is a traditional name, it is technically a misnomer as the dunnock is not related to true sparrows (family Passeridae). It belongs to the family Prunellidae, the accentors.

Noun

1. small brownish European songbird