An interesting thing about historic zoology collections is that they let you trace how things like names change over time. What used to be commonly called a Hedge Sparrow is now more commonly (and correctly) called a Dunnock.
the Hedge Sparrow or Dunnock, is now named Prunella modularis, but in pre-Linnaean times it was known as Passer sepiarius, described thus by William Turner in A Short and Succinct History of the Principal Birds noticed by Pliny and Aristotle, 1544. From saepes – a hedge. Also known as hedgies!
Exactly, and from where the English vernacular name Hedge Sparrow originates. Had it been names Prunella modularis from day one, it almost certainly would never have been coined a sparrow.
I always imagine that was a consciously promoted change by folk who thought HS was misleading & promoted an older more picturesque name instead. Similarly with Gatekeeper and Hedge Brown among butterflies
Yes, to say ‘correctly’ called Dunnock is a little misleading. It is, as you say, an accentor, but with a unique and perfectly acceptable name that’s already in use removes the need to call it ‘something’ Accentor which would have needed promoting from scratch and probably unlikely catch on.
