Michael Palin on the Dunnock

Available for over a year

A new series of Tweet of the Day for Sunday morning revealing personal and fascinating stories from some fresh voices who have been inspired by birds, their calls and encounters. If ever a bird typified the phrase 'little brown job' then the dunnock must be a strong contender. This unremarkable bird leads, for the most part, a quiet solitary life deep within a shrubbery or hedge, giving it an old and incorrect name of hedge sparrow. But in the breeding season the dunnock can develop complex relationships, males sharing territories, females sharing males. This louche lifestyle also attracts the cuckoo. Dunnock are one of the preferred species for the female cuckoo to lay her egg, which once hatched the chick will quickly dwarf the parent dunnock. Producer : Andrew Dawes of BBC Audio in Bristol Studio Engineer : Ilse Lademann