Black-throated Accentor
Prunella atrogularis
The Black-throated Accentor (Prunella atrogularis) is a rare accentor found in 21 countries, weighing about 19 g. The black-throated accentor is a small passerine bird found in the Ural, Tian Shan and Altai Mountains.
About the Black-throated Accentor
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.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This is a dunnock-sized bird, 13.5–14 centimetres (5.3–5.5 in) in length. It has a streaked dark brown back, somewhat resembling a house sparrow, but adults have a black crown, face patch and throat, and a white supercilium. The breast is orange, and the belly white with orange stripes. Like other accentors, this species has an insectivore's fine pointed bill. Sexes are similar, but winter birds and juveniles are less contrasted. In particular, the dark throat may be almost absent in young birds. The call is a fine ti-ti-ti, and the song is similar to the dunnock's pleasant twittering.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Norway, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Hungary.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, May, June, October, November, December, with peak activity in February. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black-throated Accentor?
- This is a dunnock-sized bird, 13.5–14 centimetres (5.3–5.5 in) in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black-throated Accentor?
- The Black-throated Accentor is a small sized bird weighing about 19 g.
- Where can you see a Black-throated Accentor?
- The Black-throated Accentor occurs in 21 countries, including India, Sweden, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia.
- What birds look similar to a Black-throated Accentor?
- The Black-throated Accentor is most easily confused with the Brown Accentor, the Robin Accentor and the Altai Accentor.
- Is the Black-throated Accentor endangered?
- The Black-throated Accentor is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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