Breeding habitat: dense spruce thickets, young forest; breeds in gardens and clear-fell vegetation. The nest is placed low (0.5–2 m above the ground) in dense spruce twigs or a juniper bush — well camouflaged and hard to find.
Breeding season: April–July, often two broods. The female lays 4–5 turquoise-blue eggs (classic and easy to recognise) and incubates for 12–13 days. The young fledge after 11–12 days.
Polyandry — a complex mating system The Dunnock has one of the most complex mating systems in the bird world: - Monogamy: the most common — a single pair. - Polyandry: one female with several males (common — an alpha and a beta male). - Polygyny: one male with several females. - Polygynandry: several males and several females share a territory.
The females control the territory and the males compete for matings. This was first studied in the