The black-throated accentor is a small passerine bird found in the Ural, Tian Shan and Altai Mountains. It is migratory, wintering in Afghanistan and neighboring countries. It is a rare vagrant in western Europe.
Region
Central Asia and southern Siberia
Typical Environment
Breeds in montane shrublands, forest edges, and subalpine zones across the Ural, Tian Shan, and Altai Mountains, extending into adjacent parts of Mongolia and northwest China. In winter it descends to foothills, valleys, and semi-open country with scattered bushes and human settlements. It favors willow and birch thickets, juniper scrub, and sheltered gullies near streams. On passage and in winter it may also occur in gardens, orchards, and cultivated fields.
Altitude Range
800–3500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The black-throated accentor is a small mountain songbird with a distinctive black throat and bold white eyebrow. It breeds in the Ural, Tian Shan, and Altai ranges and winters mainly in Afghanistan and adjacent regions, occasionally wandering to western Europe as a rare vagrant. Like other accentors, it feeds on insects in summer and switches to seeds and berries in winter. It forages low in scrub and is often surprisingly confiding during winter.
Temperament
skulking yet approachable in dense cover
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, undulating dashes between shrubs
Social Behavior
Breeding pairs hold small territories in shrubby alpine or subalpine habitats and nest low in dense bushes. Outside the breeding season it often forms loose flocks, sometimes with other small passerines, while foraging in open scrub. The cup nest is built from grasses and moss and lined with finer materials; both parents care for the young.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Song is a thin, tinkling series of high notes and short trills delivered from a low perch within shrubs. Calls include a sharp tseep and a soft trrr, often given in contact when flocking.
Plumage
Streaked brown upperparts with rufous tones in the wings, warm-buff underparts with finer flank streaking, and a sharply contrasting black throat and lower face. A clean white supercilium and pale moustachial stripe frame the dark throat. The overall impression is of a compact, streaky accentor with a bold facial pattern.
Diet
In summer it takes small insects, spiders, and other invertebrates gleaned from the ground and low foliage. During autumn and winter it shifts to seeds and small berries, including those of juniper and other shrubs. It occasionally captures small invertebrates in brief sallies from perches.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on or near the ground in dense scrub, willow and birch thickets, and at forest edges. In winter it readily uses sheltered gullies, riverine vegetation, and even gardens and farmyards.
