| Robin accentor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| AtKhardung La,Ladakh, India | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Prunellidae |
| Genus: | Prunella |
| Species: | P. rubeculoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Prunella rubeculoides (Moore, F, 1854) | |
Therobin accentor (Prunella rubeculoides) is a species ofbird in the familyPrunellidae. It is found in the mountainous regions ofAfghanistan,Pakistan,India,Nepal,Bhutan andChina, at altitudes between about 3,000 and 5,500 m (9,800 and 18,000 ft). It is a brown bird with a grey head and an orange-red breast. It is common in parts of its range and its conservation status has been assessed by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature as being of "least concern".
The robin accentor wasdescribed by the English entomologist and ornithologistFrederic Moore in 1854 from a specimen collected in Nepal. He coined thebinomial nameAccentor rubeculoides.[2] Thespecific epithet combines theMedieval Latinrubecula for a "robin" and the Ancient Greek-oidēs "resembling".[3] The robin accentor is now placed in thegenusPrunella that was introduced by the French ornithologistLouis Pierre Vieillot in 1816.[4]
There are twosubspecies:[5]
The robin accentor is a large accentor, growing to a length of about 17 cm (7 in). The sexes are similar in appearance and have the slender, sharply-pointed beak typical of an insect-eating bird. The head and neck are grey while the other upper parts are brown, streaked with black. The throat is a uniform shade of reddish-orange and the belly pale buff. The wing coverts have white tips. The call is a high trill, or a repeated "tszi tszi".[6] The song is musical and has been rendered as "si-tsi-si-tsi-tsu-tsitsi".[7]
The robin accentor is native to mountainous regions of Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China, and is also present in Afghanistan, typically at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,500 m (9,800 and 18,000 ft).[1] In China it is known from theTibet Autonomous Region and the provinces ofQinghai,Gansu andSichuan.[7] It is anon-migratory species normally resident above the tree-line but not as high as the snowline. It is usually seen on the ground in grassland or among scrub, often in gullies containing streams. In the winter it may move to slightly lower elevations and is often found in stony areas close to human habitations.[6]
The robin accentor mostly forages on the ground for insects, other invertebrates and seeds. Small groups of birds may feed together. A female often mates with several males, and each male attempts to remove any sperm already present in hercloaca before himself mounting her. The nest is built off the ground in tussock grass, bushes or scrub.[6] It is cup-shaped, and a clutch of about four blue or green, unspeckled eggs is laid. The breeding season is between May and August and there may be two broods.[7]
The robin accentor has a wide range and is common in parts of that range. No particular threats have been identified and the population seems stable, so theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]
