Overview
Siberian Accentor: Small, shy sparrow-like bird with brown-streaked upperparts, gray nape and crown with dark gray center stripe, yellow-brown eyebrows and underparts; breast shows brown streaking. Wings have a white wingbar. The tail is notched, the bill is short and black. Legs and feet are pink.
Range and Habitat
Siberian Accentor: Native of northern Siberia, casual visitor in western and northern Alaska, accidential in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Prefers mountainous country.
Accentors (Prunellidae)
ORDER
The accentors are one of the one hundred eighteen families of birds in the order PASSERIFORMES (pronounced pas-ser-i-FOR-meez); a large taxonomic order that also includes other small birds such as wrens, warblers, and sparrows.
FAMILY TAXONOMY
Thirteen species of accentors in one genus are included in the Prunellidae (pronounced proo-NELL-uh-dee), a family mostly restricted to Eurasia.
NORTH AMERICA
One species of the Prunellidae in one genus occurs in North America as a vagrant; the Siberian Accentor.
KNOWN FOR
The Siberian Accentor, like other members of this family, is known for being a bird of the mountains. In the high mountains of Asia, the Himalayan Accentor occurs as high as 17,000 feet; an exceptionally high altitude for a small bird.
PHYSICAL
Accentors are small, warbler-like birds with fairly long wings and tails, medium length, strong legs and feet, and a medium length, thin, pointed bill suited to their insectivorous diet.
COLORATION
Members of this family are generally plumaged in various shades of brown, gray, and white with some streaking or spotting on the back and underparts. The one species that has shown up in North America has a light orange throat and eyebrow, and strong black markings on the head.
GEOGRAPHIC HABITAT
The Siberian Accentor is a vagrant to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. On its breeding grounds, it prefers the shrubby growth along streams, while during the winter it occurs in montane forests. As a lost vagrant though, it could show up in any variety of habitats and has even occurred at a backyard feeder.
MIGRATION
The Siberian Accentor is a long distance migrant from the boreal zone of Siberia to eastern Asia.
HABITS
Some accentor species occur in flocks, but the family is not noted for being particularly social and does not nest in colonies. Like other members of its family, the Siberian Accentor forages for small arthropods by picking them off of the ground.
CONSERVATION
Although a very rare vagrant to North America, the Siberian Accentor is a common, non-threatened species in its typical breeding and wintering grounds in Asia.
INTERESTING FACTS
The Dunnock, a common Eurasian accentor species has also been called the Hedge Sparrow because of its affinity for low, thick vegetation and its resemblance to a number of different sparrow species. However it is not closely related to sparrows as accentors are more directly related to thrushes and Old World warblers.