Editing Accentor

{{Short description|Genus of birds}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Accentor
| image = Dunnock (Prunella modularis occidentalis).jpg
| image_caption = [[Dunnock]] (''Prunella modularis'')
| parent_authority = [[Charles Wallace Richmond|Richmond]], 1908
| taxon = Prunella
| authority = [[Louis Pierre Vieillot|Vieillot]], 1816
| type_species = ''[[Dunnock|Prunella modularis]]''
| type_species_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 
See text.
| synonyms = ''Laiscopus''
}}

The '''accentors''' are a [[genus]] of [[bird]]s in the family '''Prunellidae''', which is [[Endemism|endemic]] to the [[Old World]].<ref>Liu, B. ''et al''. (2017) [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.3136 Explosive radiation and spatial expansion across the cold environments of the Old World in an avian family]. ''Ecology and Evolution''. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3136</ref> This small group of closely related [[passerine]]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 [[bird migration|migratory]], but they will leave the coldest parts of their range in winter and make [[Altitudinal migration|altitudinal movements]].<ref name=EoB/>

==Taxonomy and etymology==
The genus ''Prunella'' was introduced by the French ornithologist [[Louis Pierre Vieillot|Louis Vieillot]] in 1816 with the [[dunnock]] (''Prunella modularis'') as the [[type species]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Vieillot  | first=Louis Pierre | author-link=Louis Pierre Vieillot | year=1816 | title=Analyse d'une Nouvelle Ornithologie Élémentaire | publisher=Deterville/self |  location=Paris | page = 43 | language=French| url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9745205x/f49.image }}<!--BHL has a scan of an 1883 reprint - same pagination http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12830237 --></ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Paynter | editor2-first=Raymond A. Jr | year=1964 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World | volume=10 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology  | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts  | page=3 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14486192 }}</ref> Although the genus is usually used for all the accentors, the [[alpine accentor]] and [[Altai accentor]] are sometimes separated into the genus ''Laiscopus''.<ref name=hbw>{{ cite book | last=Hatchwell | first=B.J. | year=2005 | chapter=Family Prunellidae (Accentors) | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Christie | editor3-first=D.A. | title=Handbook of the Birds of the World | volume=10: Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes | location=Barcelona, Spain | publisher=Lynx Edicions | isbn=978-84-87334-72-6 | pages=496–513 | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0010unse/page/496/mode/1up | chapter-url-access=registration }}</ref>

Harrison <ref>Harrison, ''An Atlas of the Birds of the Western Palaearctic'', 1982</ref> 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"<ref>''[http://www.chambersharrap.co.uk/chambers/features/chref/chref.py/main Chambers Dictionary]''</ref>). ''Accentor'' derives from the old scientific name for the Alpine accentor (''Accentor collaris''). It comes from [[Late Latin]], meaning "sing with another" (ad + cantor).<ref name=OED>{{ OED |Accentor}}</ref> The genus name ''Prunella'' is from the German ''Braunelle'', "dunnock", a diminutive of ''braun'', "brown".<ref name =job>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A. | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher=Christopher Helm | location = London, United Kingdom | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | page =[https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n318 318]}}</ref>

==Description==
These are small, fairly drab species superficially similar, but not closely related to, [[Old World sparrow|sparrow]]s. They are 14 to 18&nbsp;cm in length, and weigh between 25 and 35 g.<ref name=EoB>{{cite book |editor=Forshaw, Joseph|author = McClure, H. Elliott|year=1991|title=Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds|publisher= Merehurst Press|location=London|pages= 184|isbn= 1-85391-186-0}}</ref> However, accentors have thin sharp bills, reflecting their diet of ground-dwelling insects in summer, augmented with small seeds and berries in winter.  They may also swallow grit and sand to help their stomach break up these seeds.<ref name=hbw/><ref name="f&w">{{cite book|title=The Funk & Wagnalls Wildlife Encyclopedia|author1=Burton, Maurice  |author2=Burton, Robert|year=1974|publisher=Funk and Wagnalls|volume=1|location=New York, N.Y.|oclc=20316938}}</ref>

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.<ref name="f&w"/>

Accentors may have one to three broods a year. Courtship consists of a great deal of song from the males, which may include [[Horned lark|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 3–6 unspotted green or blue eggs.<ref name=hbw/><ref name=EoB/> 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.<ref name=hbw/>

==Habitat==
Their typical habitat is mountainous regions in an area far above the [[Tree line|tree-line]], but below the [[Snow line|snow-line]]. The [[Alpine accentor]] has been observed at nearly {{cvt|8,000|m|ft|abbr=on}} altitude in the [[Himalaya]] and the [[Altai accentor|Altai]] and [[Robin accentor|Robin]] accentors at {{cvt|5,500|m|ft|abbr=on}};<ref name=hbw/> however, most accentors breed in scrub vegetation at lower levels. Most species are [[bird migration|altitudinal migrants]], descending to lower altitudes to spend the winter, but some are long-distance migrants, most notably the [[Siberian accentor]], which migrates 3,000–5,000&nbsp;km from northern Siberia to China and Korea.<ref name=hbw/> Accentors spend the majority of their time in the [[Understory|undergrowth]] and even when flushed, stay low to the ground until reaching cover.<ref name=hbw/>

==Species list==
Twelve species are currently accepted:<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2024 | title=Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits | work=World Bird List Version 14.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/waxbills/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=24 August 2024 }}</ref>
* [[Alpine accentor]] ''Prunella collaris''
* [[Altai accentor]] ''Prunella himalayana''
* [[Robin accentor]] ''Prunella rubeculoides''
* [[Rufous-breasted accentor]] ''Prunella strophiata''
* [[Siberian accentor]] ''Prunella montanella''
* [[Brown accentor]] ''Prunella fulvescens''
* [[Radde's accentor]] ''Prunella ocularis'' (includes the formerly accepted Arabian accentor ''Prunella fagani'', lumped in 2018<ref name=ioc/>)
* [[Black-throated accentor]] ''Prunella atrogularis''
* [[Kozlov's accentor]] ''Prunella koslowi''
* [[Dunnock]] ''Prunella modularis''
* [[Japanese accentor]] ''Prunella rubida''
* [[Maroon-backed accentor]] ''Prunella immaculata''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/accentors-prunellidae Accentor videos] on the Internet Bird Collection

{{Passeroidea|P.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q3924795}}

[[Category:Prunellidae| ]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Louis Pierre Vieillot]]