Alpine Accentor (Prunella collaris) [XC71699]
by Mike Nelson from Isola del Giglio, Castello, Grosseto, Italy (call)
Alpine Accentor (Prunella collaris) [XC677133]
by Stanislas Wroza from Schlappinerjoch, Gargellen, Bez. Bludenz, Vorarlberg, Austria (call)
Nest
An inner cup of moss and feathers, surrounded by grass and stems, in a crevice amongst rocks.
Eggs (Guide)
3 - 4; smooth, glossy, pale blue; 21 - 23 x 16mm.
Subspecies
Most closely related to, and forming a species group with, Altai Accentor (Prunella himalayana). Birds from Corsica, described as subspecies tschusii, considered inseparable from nominate.
The following 9 subspecies are recognised:
collaris (Scopoli, 1769) - Mountains from south-western Europe east to Slovenia and Carpathians, and north-western Africa (Moroccan Atlas).
subalpina (Brehm, CL, 1831) - South-eastern Europe (Croatia east to Bulgaria, south to Greece, including Crete) and south-western Turkey.
montana (Hablizl, 1783) - Northern and eastern Turkey and Caucasus south to Iran and east to Turkmeniya.
rufilata (Severtsov, 1879) - From Kyrgyzstan eastern along Tien Shan, and from north-eastern Afghanistan and extreme northern Pakistan eastern along Pamirs to western China (Kunlun Mts).
erythropygia (Swinhoe, 1870) - From Altai Mts east to south-eastern Russia, south to northern and eastern Mongolia and north-eastern China. Also Japan (central Honshu).
whymperi (Baker, ECS, 1915) - Western Himalayas (Ladakh east to Kumaon).
tibetana (Bianchi, 1905) - Eastern Tibetan Plateau (southern from Nan Shan, east to Gansu).
nipalensis (Blyth, 1843) - Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, south-central China (south-eastern Xizang, south-western Sichuan, northern Yunnan) and northern Myanmar.
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet