Accentor

Accentors are a genus of small, Old World passerine birds that make up the family Prunellidae. All twelve species are placed in the genus *Prunella*. Most live in the mountain ranges of Europe and Asia, though the dunnock and Japanese accentor are also found in lowlands, and the Siberian accentor occurs in far northern Siberia. They are not strongly migratory, but they do leave the coldest parts of their range in winter or shift to lower altitudes.

The genus *Prunella* was established in 1816 by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot, with the dunnock as the type species. While the genus usually includes all accentors, the alpine and Altai accentors are sometimes split off into the genus *Laiscopus*. The term “dunnock” has been applied to all species (not just *Prunella modularis*), based on the oldest known name for any of them, from Old English for “little brown bird.” The word “accentor” comes from the old scientific name for the alpine accentor and derives from Late Latin, meaning “sing with another.” The genus name *Prunella* comes from the German *Braunelle*, a diminutive of *braun* (“brown”).

These are small, fairly drab birds, superficially like sparrows but not closely related. They measure 14 to 18 cm in length and weigh 25 to 35 g. Their bills are thin and sharp, suited for eating ground-dwelling insects in summer, supplemented by small seeds and berries in winter. They may also swallow grit or sand to help break down seeds. Most species live in flocks, but the dunnock is an exception—it prefers to be solitary except when feeding. The dunnock is also called “shuffle-wing” because it shows the characteristic wing flicks used in courtship and displays more strongly than other accentors.

Accentors may raise one to three broods per year. Males sing extensively during courtship, sometimes performing short, lark-like song flights to attract a mate. In most species, both sexes build the nest, but dunnock males take no part in nest building or incubation. The nests are neat cups, and the female lays 3–6 unspotted green or blue eggs. Incubation lasts about 12 days, and both parents feed the young, which fledge after another 12 days or so.

Their typical habitat is mountainous regions above the tree line but below the snow line. The alpine accentor has been observed at nearly 8,000 m in the Himalaya, and the Altai and robin accentors at 5,500 m, though most breed in scrub at lower elevations. Most species are altitudinal migrants, descending in winter, but some—especially the Siberian accentor—are long-distance migrants, traveling 3,000–5,000 km from northern Siberia to China and Korea. Accentors spend most of their time in undergrowth and, when flushed, stay low to the ground until they reach cover.

The twelve accepted species are: alpine accentor, Altai accentor, robin accentor, rufous-breasted accentor, Siberian accentor, brown accentor, Radde’s accentor (which includes the formerly accepted Arabian accentor, lumped in 2018), black-throated accentor, Kozlov’s accentor, dunnock, Japanese accentor, and maroon-backed accentor.