Editing Alpine accentor

{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Alpine accentor
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Prunella collaris'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T22718617A88039291 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22718617A88039291.en |access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref>
| image = Alpine accentor saganta.jpg
| image2 = Alpine Accentor Lungthu Pangolakha WLS East Sikkim India 08.11.2015.jpg
| image2_caption = Nominate subsp. in [[Province of Castellón|Castellón]], [[Spain]], and ''P. c. nipalensis'' in [[East Sikkim]], [[India]]
| genus = Prunella
| species = collaris
| authority = ([[Giovanni Antonio Scopoli|Scopoli]], 1769)
| synonyms = *''Laiscopus collaris''
}}

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 [[species description|described]] by the Austrian naturalist [[Giovanni Antonio Scopoli]] in 1769. He coined the [[binomial name]] ''Sturnus collaris'' and specified the [[type locality (biology)|type locality]] as the [[Carinthia]] region of southern Austria.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Scopoli | first=Giovanni Antonio | author-link=Giovanni Antonio Scopoli  | year=1769 | title=Annus I Historico-Naturalis | language=la | place=Lipsiae (Leipzig) | publisher= C.G. Hilscheri | page=131 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31117758 }}</ref> The [[specific epithet]] is from the [[Latin]] ''collaris'' "of the neck".<ref name=hbwkey>{{cite web | last=Jobling | first=J.A. | year=2019 | title= Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Sargatal | editor3-first=J. | editor4-last=Christie | editor4-first=D.A. | editor5-last=de Juana | editor5-first=E. | work=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive | publisher=Lynx Edicions | url=https://www.hbw.com/dictionary/definition/collaris | access-date=11 March 2019 }}</ref> This species is now placed in the [[genus]] ''[[Prunella (bird)|Prunella]]'' that was introduced by the French ornithologist [[Louis Pierre Vieillot]] in 1816.<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=fr| 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> The Alpine accentor, along with the [[Altai accentor]] is sometimes separated from the other accentors, into the genus ''Laiscopus''.<ref>HBW volume 10, page 496</ref>

The word "accentor" is from post-classical [[Latin]] and means a person who sings with another.<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>

Nine [[subspecies]] are recognised:<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2019 | title=Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits | work=World Bird List Version 9.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/waxbills/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=11 March 2019 }}</ref>
* ''P. c. collaris'' <small>([[Giovanni Antonio Scopoli|Scopoli]], 1769)</small> — southwest Europe to Slovenia and the Carpathians, northwest Africa
* ''P. c. subalpina'' <small>([[Christian Ludwig Brehm|Brehm, CL]], 1831)</small> — Croatia to Bulgaria and Greece, Crete and southwest Turkey
* ''P. c. montana'' <small>([[Carl Ludwig Hablitz|Hablizl]], 1783)</small> — north and east Turkey to the Caucasus and Iran
* ''P. c. rufilata'' <small>([[Nikolai Severtzov|Severtzov]], 1879)</small> — northeast Afghanistan and north Pakistan through the mountains of central Asia to west China
* ''P. c. whymperi'' <small>([[E. C. Stuart Baker|Baker, ECS]], 1915)</small> — west Himalayas
* ''P. c. nipalensis'' <small>([[Edward Blyth|Blyth]], 1843)</small> — central and east Himalayas to southcentral China and north Myanmar
* ''P. c. tibetana'' <small>([[Valentin Bianchi|Bianchi]], 1905)</small> — east Tibet
* ''P. c. erythropygia'' <small>([[Robert Swinhoe|R. Swinhoe]], 1870)</small> — east Kazakhstan and southcentral Siberia to northeast Siberia, Japan, Korea and northeast China
* ''P. c. fennelli'' <small>[[Herbert Girton Deignan|Deignan]], 1964</small> — Taiwan

== Description==
[[File:Alpine Accentor Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary East Sikkim India 19.04.2016.jpg|thumb|left|''P. c. nipalensis'' at [[Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary]] in [[East Sikkim]], [[India]]]]
This is a [[European robin|robin-sized]] bird at {{Convert|15–17.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length, slightly larger than its relative, the [[dunnock]]. It has a streaked brown back, somewhat resembling a [[house sparrow]], but adults have a grey head and red-brown spotting on the underparts. It has an insectivore's fine pointed bill.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Alpine Accentor {{!}} Prunella collaris |url=https://app.birda.org/species-guide/33241/Alpine_Accentor |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=Birda: Birdwatching Community}}</ref>

Sexes are similar, although the male may be contrasted in appearance. Young birds have browner heads and underparts.<ref name=":0" />
[[Image:Prunella collaris dist.png|thumb|230px|Distribution of ''Prunella collaris'']]

==Distribution and habitat==

It is found throughout the mountains of southern temperate Europe, [[Lebanon]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lebanonhunt.com/ |title=Home |website=lebanonhunt.com}}</ref> and [[Palearctic|Asia]] at heights above {{Convert|2000|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>[https://fareastru.birds.watch/index.php?l=en Fareast Russian Birds]</ref> It is mainly resident, wintering more widely at lower latitudes, but some [[bird]]s [[bird migration|wander]] as rare vagrants as far as [[Great Britain]].

It is a bird of bare mountain areas with some low vegetation.

==Breeding==
[[File:Prunella collaris collaris  MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.185.16.jpg|thumb|''Prunella collaris collaris '' - [[MHNT]]]]
It builds a neat nest low in a bush or rock crevice, laying 3–5 unspotted sky-blue eggs.<ref name=":0" />

The mating system is of particular interest.  Home ranges are occupied by breeding groups of 3 or 4 males with 3 or 4 females. These are unrelated birds which have a socially [[polygynandry|polygynandrous]] mating system. Males have a dominance hierarchy, with the alpha males being generally older than subordinates. Females seek matings with all the males, although the alpha male may defend her against matings from lower ranking males.  In turn, males seek matings with all the females. DNA fingerprinting has been used to show that, within broods, there is often mixed paternity, although the female is always the true mother of the nestlings raised within her nest.  Males will provide food to chicks at several nests within the group, depending on whether they have mated with the female or not – males only provide care when they are likely to be the true fathers of the chicks.

==References==<!-- FaunAbh26:63. FieldMusNatHistZoolSer18:343. Forktail16:147. -->

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{ cite book | editor1-last=Cramp | editor1-first=Stanley | display-editors=etal | editor1-link=Stanley Cramp | year=1988 | chapter=''Prunella collaris'' Alpine Accentor | title=Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume V: Tyrant Flycatchers to Thrushes | place=Oxford | publisher=Oxford University Press | pages=574–585 | isbn=978-0-19-857508-5 }}
*{{ cite journal | last1=Davies | first1=N.B. | last2=Hartley | first2=I.R. | last3=Hatchwell | first3=B.J. | last4=Desrochers | first4=A. | last5=Skeer | first5=J. | last6=Nebel | first6=D. | year=1995 | title= The polygynandrous mating system of the alpine accentor ''Prunella collaris''. I. Ecological causes and reproductive conflicts | journal=Animal Behaviour | volume=49 | issue=3 | pages=769–788 | doi=10.1016/0003-3472(95)80209-6| s2cid=53146123 }}
*{{ cite journal | last1=Hartley | first1=I.R. | last2=Davies | first2=N.B. | last3=Hatchwell | first3=B.J. | last4=Desrochers | first4=A. | last5=Nebel | first5=D. | last6=Burke | first6=T. | year=1995 | title=The polygynandrous mating system of the alpine accentor ''Prunella collaris''. II. Multiple paternity and parental effort | journal=Animal Behaviour | volume=49 | issue=3 | pages=789–803 | doi=10.1016/0003-3472(95)80210-X| s2cid=53259972 }}
*{{ cite journal | last1=Davies | first1=N.B. | last2=Hartley | first2=I.R. | last3=Hatchwell | first3=B.J. | last4=Langmore | first4=N.E. | year=1996 | title=Female control of copulations to maximise male help: a comparison of polygynandrous alpine accentors ''Prunella collaris'' and dunnocks ''Prunella modularis'' | journal=Animal Behaviour | volume=51 | issue=1 | pages=27–47 | doi=10.1006/anbe.1996.0003 | s2cid=59505497 | url=http://www.avibirds.com/pdf/H/Heggemus1.pdf}}

==External links==
* [http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/alpine-accentor-prunella-collaris Alpine accentor videos, photos & sounds] on the Internet Bird Collection
* [https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Prunella-collaris Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the Alpine accentor]

{{Taxonbar |from=Q208334}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Prunellidae]]
[[Category:Birds of Asia]]
[[Category:Birds of Europe]]