The accentors are a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
s in the family Prunellidae, which is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the
Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
. This small group of closely related
passerine
A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...
s are all in the genus ''Prunella''. All but the dunnock and the Japanese accentor are inhabitants of the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia; these two also occur in lowland areas, as does the Siberian accentor in the far north of Siberia. These birds are not strongly
migratory, but they will leave the coldest parts of their range in winter and make
altitudinal movements.
[
]
Taxonomy and etymology
The genus ''Prunella'' was introduced by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot
Louis Pierre Vieillot (10 May 1748, Yvetot – 24 August 1830, Sotteville-lès-Rouen) was a French ornithologist.
Vieillot is the author of the first scientific descriptions and Linnaean names of a number of birds, including species he collecte ...
in 1816 with the dunnock
The dunnock (''Prunella modularis'') is a small passerine, or perching bird, found throughout temperate Europe and into Asian Russia. Dunnocks have also been successfully introduced into New Zealand. It is by far the most widespread member of th ...
(''Prunella modularis'') as the type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
. Although the genus is usually used for all the accentors, the alpine accentor
The alpine accentor (''Prunella collaris'') is a small passerine bird in the family Prunellidae, which is native to Eurasia and North Africa.
Taxonomy
The Alpine accentor was described by the Austria naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1769. ...
and Altai accentor
The Altai accentor (''Prunella himalayana'') is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is also known as the rufous-streaked accentor or Himalayan accentor. It breeds in the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia; it winters in the southern ...
are sometimes separated into the genus ''Laiscopus''.[HBW Volume 10, page 496.]
Harrison used the group name dunnock for all of the species, not just ''Prunella modularis'' (thus e.g. Japanese dunnock for ''P. rubida''); this usage is based on the oldest known name for any of the species (old English ''dun''-, brown, + -''ock'', small: "little brown bird"
Chambers Dictionary
'). ''Accentor'' derives from the old scientific name for the Alpine accentor (''Accentor collaris''). It comes from Late Latin
Late Latin ( la, Latinitas serior) is the scholarly name for the form of Literary Latin of late antiquity.Roberts (1996), p. 537. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the , and continuing into the 7th century in t ...
, meaning "sing with another" (ad + cantor). The genus name ''Prunella'' is from the German ''Braunelle'', "dunnock", a diminutive of ''braun'', "brown".
Description
These are small, fairly drab species superficially similar, but not closely related to, sparrow
Sparrow may refer to:
Birds
* Old World sparrows, family Passeridae
* New World sparrows, family Passerellidae
* two species in the Passerine family Estrildidae:
** Java sparrow
** Timor sparrow
* Hedge sparrow, also known as the dunnock or hedg ...
s. They are 14 to 18 cm in length, and weigh between 25 and 35 g. However, accentors have thin sharp bills, reflecting their diet of ground-dwelling insects in summer, augmented with seeds and berries in winter. They may also swallow grit and sand to help their stomach break up these seeds.
Most of the species live together in flocks. The dunnock is an exception since it prefers to be solitary except when feeding. The dunnock also earned a nickname of "shuffle-wing" since it most strongly displays the characteristic wing flicks used during courtship and other displays.
Accentors may have two to three broods a year. Courtship consists of a great deal of song from the males, which may include short lark-like song flights to attract a mate. In most species, the male and female share in the nest making, with the dunnocks again being an exception – their males have no part in nest building or incubation. They build neat cup nests and lay about 4 unspotted green or blue eggs.[ The eggs are incubated for around 12 days. The young are fed by both parents and take an additional 12 days or so to fledge.]
Habitat
Their typical habitat is mountainous regions in an area far above the tree-line, but below the snow-line. The Himalayan accentor can be found as high as above sea level when breeding; however, most accentors breed in scrub vegetation at lower levels. Most species migrate downwards to spend the winter, with only some being hardy enough to remain. Accentors spend the majority of their time in the undergrowth and even when flushed, stay low to the ground until reaching cover.
Species list
FAMILY: PRUNELLIDAE
* Genus: ''Prunella''
** Alpine accentor
The alpine accentor (''Prunella collaris'') is a small passerine bird in the family Prunellidae, which is native to Eurasia and North Africa.
Taxonomy
The Alpine accentor was described by the Austria naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1769. ...
, ''Prunella collaris''
** Altai accentor
The Altai accentor (''Prunella himalayana'') is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is also known as the rufous-streaked accentor or Himalayan accentor. It breeds in the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia; it winters in the southern ...
, ''Prunella himalayana''
** Black-throated accentor
The black-throated accentor (''Prunella atrogularis'') is a small passerine bird found in the Ural, Tian Shan and Altai Mountains. It is migratory, wintering in Afghanistan and neighboring countries. It is a rare vagrant in western Europe.
Th ...
, ''Prunella atrogularis''
** Brown accentor
The brown accentor (''Prunella fulvescens'') is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is found in Afghanistan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Its natural habitat ...
, ''Prunella fulvescens''
** Dunnock
The dunnock (''Prunella modularis'') is a small passerine, or perching bird, found throughout temperate Europe and into Asian Russia. Dunnocks have also been successfully introduced into New Zealand. It is by far the most widespread member of th ...
, ''Prunella modularis''
** Japanese accentor
The Japanese accentor (''Prunella rubida'') is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is found in Japan and Sakhalin.
Its natural habitat is temperate forest.
References
Japanese accentor
Birds of Japan
Japanese accentor
The ...
, ''Prunella rubida''
** Maroon-backed accentor
The maroon-backed accentor (''Prunella immaculata'') is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.
Its natural habitat is temperate forest
A temperate forest is a forest found betwe ...
, ''Prunella immaculata''
** Mongolian accentor
Kozlov's accentor (''Prunella koslowi'') or the Mongolian accentor, is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is found in Mongolia and northern China.
The specific epithet was chosen to honour the Russian explorer Pyotr Kozlov.
Refer ...
, ''Prunella koslowi''
** Radde's accentor
Radde's accentor (''Prunella ocularis'') is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is found in mountainous parts of Yemen and northern Southwest Asia.
Its natural habitat is temperate grassland.
Taxonomy
Radde's accentor was described ...
, ''Prunella ocularis''
** Robin accentor
The robin accentor (''Prunella rubeculoides'') is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is found in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China, at altitudes between about . It is a brown bird with a ...
, ''Prunella rubeculoides''
** Rufous-breasted accentor
The rufous-breasted accentor (''Prunella strophiata'') is passerine bird in the family Prunellidae, endemic to the Himalayas, descending in the winter to lower-to-middle altitudes. It is found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, China, India, Myanmar ...
, ''Prunella strophiata''
** Siberian accentor
The Siberian accentor (''Prunella montanella'') is a small passerine bird that breeds in northern Russia from the Ural Mountains eastwards across Siberia. It is migratory, wintering in Korea and eastern China, with rare occurrences in western E ...
, ''Prunella montanella''
References
External links
Accentor videos
on the Internet Bird Collection
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3924795
Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot