Grey-breasted Prinia
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| Prinia hodgsonii Blyth, 1844 |
The Grey-breasted Prinia, Prinia hodgsonii, is a small warbler. This prinia is a resident breeder in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka and southeast Asia.
This skulking passerine bird is typically found in open woodland, scrub jungle, and other open areas with some grass. Grey-breasted Prinia builds its nest in tall grass and lays 3-4 eggs.
These 11-13 cm long warblers have short rounded wings, a longish tail, strong legs and a short black bill. In breeding plumage, adults are grey-brown above, with no supercilium, a black eye stripe and orange eyering. They have a rufous wing panel. Grey-breasted Prinia's underparts are white with a grey breast band. The sexes are identical.
Non-breeding birds have browner upperpart plumage and a white supercilium, but lack the breast band. Young birds are like non-breeding adults but more rufous above. There are a number of subspecies. The distinctive greyer endemic race in Sri Lanka, P. h. leggei, retains summer-type plumage all year round.
Like most warblers, Grey-breasted Prinia is insectivorous. The song is a repetitive chiwee-chiwee-chiwee-chip-chip-chip.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Prinia hodgsonii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Warblers of Europe, Asia and North Africa by Baker, ISBN 0-7136-3971-7
- Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ISBN 0-691-04910-6
