Accentors · Perching birds
Black-throated Accentor
Link copied.
Prunella atrogularis
Link copied.
How to recognize it
-
About 14 cm long
-
Adults in spring: near-black crown, cheek and throat; whitish-buff eyebrow
-
In winter and juveniles, dark throat less clear; nearly absent in juveniles
-
Fine call, "ti-ti-ti"
About the species
Against its brown, streaked back, an adult Black-throated Accentor has a black crown and throat, with a white eyebrow and orange breast. Its pale belly carries orange streaks, and a dark patch around the eye sets off the eyebrow. In autumn and winter, pale feather edges soften the contrast; juveniles may show little black on the throat. Males and females look much alike.
Its call is a fine "ti-ti-ti," while its song is a twitter similar to a Dunnock’s. It nests low in spruce thickets, laying three to five unmarked blue eggs. The female incubates them, and both parents feed the chicks.
It breeds in the Urals and the mountains of Central Asia, then moves south for winter. In scrub and cultivated land from Iran and Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, it feeds on insects. Farther west, it appears only as a rare visitor to western Europe.
Where to find
-
During the breeding season in Ural spruce thickets, look low among the conifers: the Black-throated Accentor builds its nest close to the ground.
-
In winter, scan scrub — a documented wintering habitat.
-
During the winter season, check cultivated land — it is also a documented wintering habitat.
