Alpine accentor Alpine accentor The alpine accentor ("Prunella collaris") is a small passerine bird. The word "accentor" is from post-classical Latin and means a person who sings with another. The genus name "Prunella" is from the German "Braunelle", "dunnock", a diminutive of "braun", "brown", and the specific "collaris" is from Latin "collum", "neck". This species, along with the Altai accentor is sometimes separated from the other accentors, into the genus "Laiscopus". This is a robin-sized bird at 15-17.5 cm in length, slightly larger than its relative, the dunnock. It has a streaked brown back, somewhat resembling a house sparrow, but adults have
Preening (bird) preening. The conflict between two incompatible drives, such as incubating and escape, can also lead a bird to engage in displacement activities. Nesting Sandwich and common terns preen when they have been alarmed by a potential predator or when they have had an aggressive encounter with a neighboring bird, for instance. Fighting European starlings will break off their battles to preen. Although preening is primarily an individual behaviour, some species indulge in allopreening, with one individual preening another. It is not particularly common among birds, though species from at least 43 families are known to engage in the mutual activity.