The alpine accentor is a small passerine bird in the family Prunellidae, which is native to Eurasia and North Africa.
Region
Alps, Pyrenees, Caucasus, and high mountains of Central and East Asia to Japan and the Atlas Mountains of North Africa
Typical Environment
Breeds on rocky alpine and subalpine slopes, scree fields, high pastures, and cliff-ledges with scattered shrubs. It favors open, stony terrain near snow patches and ridgelines, often using human structures such as huts and ski lifts as perches. Outside the breeding season it descends to lower montane habitats, farmland edges, and settlements. In Asia it reaches very high elevations on barren, windswept ridges.
Altitude Range
1200–5000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The alpine accentor is a high-mountain specialist often seen foraging tamely around alpine huts and ski stations. It has an unusual polygynandrous mating system, with multiple males and females forming breeding groups. In winter it often descends to lower elevations, sometimes into villages, when snow covers its breeding grounds.
P. c. nipalensis at Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in East Sikkim, India
Distribution of Prunella collaris
Prunella collaris collaris—Muséum de Toulouse (MHNT)
Temperament
confiding and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct flights between rocks
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season it forms small flocks that roam ridgelines and alpine pastures. During breeding, groups can include multiple males and females with shared paternity and cooperative territory defense. Nests are cup-shaped and placed in crevices, under shrubs, or among rocks, with clutches typically of 3–5 eggs.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A soft, rippling warble delivered from a rock or in short song-flights, with thin, tinkling phrases. Calls include sharp, high tseep notes and a rapid twitter during social interactions.
Plumage
Grey head and nape with fine streaking, warm rufous-brown, black-streaked mantle, and chestnut flanks mottled with white spots. Underparts greyish with white spotting on the throat and breast; rump often shows rufous tones.
Diet
In summer it feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates such as beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and ants found among rocks and alpine turf. In colder months it adds seeds and small berries, and readily picks up crumbs near huts or ski areas. Opportunistic foraging allows it to exploit wind-blown arthropods and thawed patches around snowmelt.
Preferred Environment
Typically forages on the ground among stones, low vegetation, and scree, probing crevices and picking prey from bare patches. In winter it frequents lower-altitude pastures, farmyards, and village edges, often near human activity.
