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Alpine Accentor
(Prunella collaris)
German name(s): "Alpenbraunelle"
Size: 15-17.5 cm
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Alpine Accentors are small birds roughly the size of a
sparrow or bunting.
Their plumage is
highly cryptic.
Apart from thin white eye-rings and a brown tinge in the ear
coverts, the head is leaden-grey, streaked with darker grey.
Also the mantle, back and rump are grey with dark-grey
streaks. Only the upperwing coverts also show some
brown streaking. In flight dark panels are prominently
visible, with each feather having a contrasting white tip.
The throat is off-white, barred near-black, while the rest
of the front is lightly vermiculated grey, with boldly streaked
red-brown flanks. The tail is grey.
The irises are brown. The short straight bill is dark grey, with
an orange-yellow base of the lower mandible, while legs and feet
are brown.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Alpine
Accentor at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Alpine Accentor is available
HERE
.
There are 9 extant races of Alpine Accentors. They are a mostly
sedentary but locally dispersive species that is found in primarily
mountainous regions throughout mid-latitude areas of Eurasia.
Their overall range extends from the Atlas mountain range in
North-west Africa, most of southern Europe and parts of south-eastern
Europe via south-western and eastern Asia Minor towards the Caucasus
and other mid-latitude mountain ranges in Asia, from the southern
shore of the Caspian Sea eastward around (but avoiding) the Mongolian
desert into large parts of western China and southern Siberia.
They are also found in parts of eastern China, down to the base
of the Korean peninsula, far-eastern Siberia
and northern Honshu, Japan. A separate race ("fennelli") resides
in Taiwan.
During the winter they can descend to lower altitudes, thereby
locally extending their range.
In Europe, 3 races of Alpine Accentors are found.
The range of nominate race
"collaris"
extends from Iberia, via the Pyrenees to southern France, northern
Italy, the Alps to Slovenia and eastward into the Carpathians. They
are also found on Sardinia, Corsica and Sicily.
Race "subalpina" resides in an area ranging from Croatia via
the Balkans, Greece (including Crete) to the West coast of
the Black Sea.
Race "montana" is found throughout the Caucasus, including its
northern (European) slopes.
Alpine Accentors have a preference for barren rocky habitats
with sparse, low vegetation.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "collaris"
G. Normandreports finding Alpine Accentors, nominate race
"collaris",
at Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote
d'Azur, France, in January/February 2021.
All sighting and photographic information presented on this
page has kindly been contributed by G. Normand.
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Photos |
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Race "collaris"
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ADULT |
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Frontal view of an Alpine Accentor
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
Near-frontal view of an Alpine Accentor
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
Near-frontal view of an Alpine Accentor, different stance
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
Near-lateral view of an Alpine Accentor, different stance
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
Near-lateral view of an Alpine Accentor
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
Near-lateral view of an Alpine Accentor, different stance
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
Lateral view of an Alpine Accentor
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
Alpine Accentors are usually found in rocky terrain
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
Alpine Accentors usually live in small units in rocky terrain
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
Alpine Accentor exploring a rock wall
(photos courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
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Food, Diet |
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Alpine Accentor foraging on barren rock; it is unknown to us
what they find there
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc national de Calanque, near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
France, January 2021]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.