Kiersten has once again returned from Spanishhighs duties up in the mountains, with some terrific new shots of another true alpine survivor! A bird of barren, boulder-strewn slopes, the Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris breeds at high altitude in the Pyrenees, the Alps and locally round the Mediterranean region into the Balkans. The high peaks of the Sierra Nevada range provide it with the perfect habitat, so lets take a closer look at this tough little local resident…
At long range and in poor light this species can appear rather plain, but there are still a number of characteristics to look out for when it comes to identification, some of which are nicely captured in the shots shown here. The dark bill is thin and warbler-like, with a distinctive yellow base – just visible in the image shown above.
The head is a uniform grey, but a close view reveals very fine barring on the throat – often visible only as a narrow white bar. The underside is a fairly dull greyish buff colour, but there are quite pronounced red-brown streaks on the flanks. There are dark streaks on the paler grey-brown back too, and a distinctive dark band on the wing. on fresh autumn plumage this wing bar is edged with fine white spots – the tips of the wing coverts – and there are just one or two still apparent on the worn summer plumage of the individual shown here.
Not the most glamorous of birds perhaps, but the Alpine Accentor has a quiet beauty all of its own, and it’s great to wrap up the month with our first photos of this snow-line specialist. Yet another example of how varied the birdlife of Andalucia can be! We’ll be bringing you all our latest birding news as another month unfolds, so please as always keep checking our posts…and for all the info on how to join us for birdwatching trips and holidays down here in southern Spain, check out our birdwatching tours page.
