Hedge Sparrow Is Neat And Modest.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 77, 31 March 1931, Page 8

Hedge Sparrow Is Neat And Modest.

Nature Notes.

By

James Drummond, F.L.S.. F.Z.S.

RESIDENTS in the suburbs of Christchurch sometimes ask the name of a modest little bird dressed somewhat like a sparrow, but more neatly, its throat and the sides of its neck adorned with bluish-grey. It does not favour tree-tops. Usually it is seen on or near the ground amongst small trees and shrubs. It has a timid air, but when it begins to sing, its notes are very sweet and pleasant. The hedge-sparrow is well named in respect to the first half of its popular title, but misnamed in respect to the second half. 1

edges are its favourite dwelling place: sparrow it is not. The resemblance i

bears to the common sparrow is superficial; there is no family relationship whatever between these two birds. Still, in view of the difficulty in discard* ing popular names, the hedge-sparrow is likely to be the hedge-sparrow to the end of the chapter. Officially, it is Accentor modularis, and many people in England, which presented it to New Zealand, call it the hedge-accentor. Others know it as the dunnock. Strictly insectivorous, it does no harm, its manners are charming, and its lovely green-ish-blue unspotted eggs, resting in a neat little compact nest a few feet from the ground, are like exquisite jewels in a box.