About Prunella rubeculoides (Moore, 1854)
The robin accentor, Prunella rubeculoides, is a large accentor that reaches a length of approximately 17 cm (7 in). Males and females look similar; both have the slender, sharply-pointed beak typical of insect-eating birds. Their head and neck are grey, while the rest of their upper parts are brown streaked with black. The throat is a uniform reddish-orange, the belly is pale buff, and the wing coverts have white tips. Its call is either a high trill or a repeated "tszi tszi"; its song is musical, and has been transcribed as "si-tsi-si-tsi-tsu-tsitsi".
This species is native to mountainous areas of Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, and China, and also occurs in Afghanistan. It is typically found at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,500 m (9,800 and 18,000 ft). In China, it occurs in the Tibet Autonomous Region and the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan. It is a non-migratory species that normally resides above the tree line, but not as high as the snow line. It is usually found on the ground in grassland or scrub, often in stream gullies. In winter, it may move to slightly lower elevations, and is often found in stony areas near human settlements.
