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The alpine bird accentor is small, like all other representatives of the Passeriformes. In Latin, the name of this species sounds like Prunella collaris.
Description
In size, these birds are slightly larger than a sparrow. But their wings are somewhat longer. The body reaches a length of 16-18 cm, wingspan - about 30 cm or a little more. The mass of alpine curlers is 35-45 g. Representatives of the species are densely folded, their wings are elongated and slightly pointed. They fly fast, undulating. The style of flight resembles a thrush.
The tail of these birds is relatively short. Most often located on the surface of the earth. Sometimes sits on bushes or grass. They walk fast on the ground, sometimes run across or jump.
In the area where this bird lives, it is often confused with larks. They are similar in size to them, and if you look from afar, the color of the bird is the same dark and plain. They also like to stay on the ground, fly in a similar way. The sounds made by these species are also similar. In addition, they often form flocks not only during the breeding season. By the same signs, the bird is often confused with the ridge.
There are forest swirls, but alpine in size is larger by about a third. Forest representatives walk vertically on the ground, while alpine ones often cling to the ground, and look like a mouse. The bird sometimes has the ability to twitch its tail or wings.
In different seasons, representatives of this species differ in different colors. In the spring, they are gray in the upper part of the head, as well as on the chest and back. In places, their plumage is painted in brown. On the back, longitudinal stripes of dark color are visible. In the throat area, the plumage is painted in light gray. It is strewn with small black blotches merging into longitudinal strips. The abdomen of the curler is light. On the sides of the bird there are large speckles of a rusty hue. They are framed by a light border, which contrasts with the overall color. The tail plumage is light. There are also dark streaks here.
When the bird is in a sitting position, a dark area is visible on the wing, which stands out against the general brown background. If you look at the flying curl from above, this section looks like a strip that runs from the back to the edge of the wing.
The beak is colored in a dark shade, but there is a yellow spot on the base. The legs are reddish. If you look at the bird from afar or at dusk, all these color details merge. The bird looks just dark. Only a section on the wing stands out a little.
The color of representatives of different sexes is practically no different. The colors of the female are somewhat dimmer, so the streaks and stripes are not so contrasting. During the year, the bird completely sheds only once. This occurs in the post-nesting period.
When a fresh feather grows, the color becomes brighter. Its color is more brown. This is especially evident in the back and shoulders of the bird. Better visible inclusions in the throat.
The chicks fluff is gray, rare. Feather in young individuals is almost the same color, but the colors are more dull. Instead of gray, brown predominates.
Vote
The Alpine Curler song is a voiced trill that sounds quite leisurely and does not have its own clear structure. Sounds like a lark song, but not so varied. Compared to forest swirls, alpine sings are a bit slower.
Singing can be heard when the bird is on the ground.The calls of the representatives of this species are similar to passerines or the calls of the lark. They can make babbling trills.
Habitat
This bird lives in the mountains of North Africa, as well as in Eurasia. It is also found in small quantities in the Caucasus.
Lifestyle & Reproduction
Nutrition
They eat insects, mollusks, as well as arachnids. Often, berries and seeds are also included in the diet. They search for food in stones, on the ground, and also in mosses and lichens. They also winter in the mountains, but go down below. Sometimes, at this time of year, the bird can be found on the plain.
Video: Alpine Accentor (Prunella collaris)
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