The TRUE HEDGE SPARROW, or HEDGE WARBLER (_Tharraleus modularis_, or
_Accentor modularis_), is six inches long and eight inches and one-sixth
broad, the wing measures two inches and three-quarters, and the tail two
inches and one-quarter. The female is considerably smaller than her mate.
The plumage of the adult bird is of a dusky reddish brown, spotted with a
still deeper shade on the shoulder and upper part of the back; the head,
fore part of the throat, and breast are brownish grey, or slate-colour.
In autumn the feathers on these parts have light edges; the belly is
brownish yellow, darkly spotted, and the rump greyish brown; the outer
web of the quills is reddish brown, striped once, in some instances
twice, with a whitish hue; the tail is of an uniform greyish brown. The
eye is light brown, the beak brown, and the foot reddish. The young
are reddish yellow spotted with blackish brown on the mantle, and of a
whitish hue spotted with greyish black on the centre of the belly. The
Hedge Sparrow inhabits the whole of Europe, from sixty-four degrees north
latitude as far south as the Pyrenees, Alps, and Balkan Mountains; it is
only occasionally seen still farther north, but visits Southern Europe,
Northern Africa, and Western Asia, regularly during its migrations. In
Great Britain it remains throughout the entire year. For some time after
their return to their native lands the Hedge Sparrows resort to the open
country, and take up their quarters on bushes and hedges; previous to the
breeding season, however, they retire to the shelter of their favourite
fir or pine woods, or, though comparatively rarely, occupy groves of
leafy trees; they also exhibit a decided preference for mountainous
regions.
In Great Britain this brisk little bird is a common frequenter of
gardens, orchards, or hedgerows, where it hops nimbly and almost
incessantly from twig to twig, in search of the insects, larvæ, and
seeds upon which it mainly subsists. According to Mr. Yarrell, it seldom
or never touches fruit. During the winter it is a constant visitor to
our farmyards and houses, and when the weather is severe is frequently
reduced to seek a scanty supply of food from drains and gutters. All
the movements of the Hedge Warbler are equally agile and rapid; it hops
with the utmost alacrity over the surface of the ground, climbs and
scrambles amid the thickest bushes with wonderful agility, and flies
lightly and gracefully, not merely from bush to bush, but sometimes
high into the air. Whilst in pursuit of food it usually prefers to keep
within the shelter of the foliage, but when about to utter its short,
sweet, and somewhat plaintive song, it perches upon a projecting branch
at a considerable elevation, and, if alarmed, darts directly downwards
into the innermost recesses of the brushwood or shrubs beneath. Mudie
describes the voice of the Hedge Sparrow as being particularly plaintive
in tone during the winter months, and remarks that in severe seasons
it utters its peevish cry with an apparent feeling of suffering and
desolation. The song of the males is often heard as early as January;
and by the middle of February each has found a mate and retired to some
quiet spot, in order to commence building operations. The nest, which
is generally finished by the end of March, is loosely put together;
it is formed exteriorly of moss and fibres, and within is neatly and
carefully lined with interwoven horsehair and wool; both parents assist
in the labour of building, and have generally completed their snug
little abode by the middle of March: it is, however, exposed to danger
and observation, being placed in a bush or hedge, without, as yet, the
screen of leaves, and often is visited by the Cuckoo, with the view of
depositing her progeny. The eggs, from four to six in number, are of a
blueish green colour. The first brood is hatched in April, and a second
is produced later in the season. Should the eggs be stolen from the nest,
as is too frequently the case, the female will occasionally furnish a
third brood. The young are hatched in about a fortnight, both father and
mother sharing the tedium of incubation, and tending them with the utmost
care and devotion until they are strong enough to seek their own food.