Why the unassuming accentor is a master of the high-altitude shuffle

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Known as shufflewings for their peculiar, twitchy movement, accentors are a group of about 13 species of small, drab songbirds. While they resemble common sparrows, these resilient birds have evolved to thrive in the world's most rugged mountain environments, often living far above the tree line in Eurasia.

Accentors belong to the family Prunellidae, a distinct group within the massive order of passerines. Passerines, often called perching birds, represent the most highly evolved avian group on Earth, comprising over 5,700 species. While most passerines are small land birds, accentors are specifically adapted for life in harsh, mountainous terrain. They possess slender, sharp bills designed for foraging, primarily feeding on ground-dwelling insects during the summer months and shifting to seeds and berries when winter arrives.

The name accentor originates from the Latin for singing with another, reflecting the vocal nature of these birds. During courtship, males perform elaborate songs, sometimes including short, lark-like flights to attract mates. Unlike many other passerine species that are highly migratory, most accentors are altitudinal migrants. They spend their breeding seasons in high-altitude scrub vegetation, sometimes reaching extreme elevations, before descending to lower ground to escape the most severe winter conditions. A notable exception is the Siberian accentor, which undertakes long-distance migrations of thousands of kilometers.

Social behavior varies significantly within the genus. While most accentors live in flocks, the dunnock is famously solitary, preferring to forage alone. The dunnock also exhibits the characteristic wing-flicking behavior that earned the entire group the nickname shufflewing. Their reproductive strategies are equally diverse; while most species share nesting duties, dunnock males are notably uninvolved in building nests or incubating eggs. Regardless of the species, these birds remain masters of the undergrowth, rarely straying far from cover even when disturbed, a testament to their survival in challenging, exposed landscapes.

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