Siberian Accentor

Members of this diverse group make up more than half of the bird species worldwide. Most are small. However their brains are relatively large and their learning abilities are greater than those of most other birds. Passerine birds are divided into two suborders, the suboscines and the oscines. Oscines are capable of more complex song, and are considered the true songbirds. In Washington, the tyrant flycatchers are the only suboscines; the remaining 27 families are oscines.

The accentors are small, sparrow-like songbirds native to the Old World. A single species, the Siberian Accentor, reaches North America as a rare vagrant. Most members of the family are brown and gray, with some streaking or bold head markings. Most species are secretive birds and spend much of their time on the ground. They hop or walk with an odd shuffle. They are insect-eaters during the summer, but eat many seeds and berries during the winter. Females typically build the nests and incubate the eggs, and both sexes feed and care for the young.