Plain Prinia

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Plain Prinia
Conservation status
Least Concern[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Cisticolidae Genus: Prinia Species: P. inornata
Binomial name
Prinia inornata Sykes, 1832

The Plain Prinia, or the Plain, or White-browed, Wren-Warbler^[2] (Prinia inornata) is a small warbler in the cisticola family. It is a resident breeder from Pakistan and India to south China and southeast Asia. It was formerly included in the Tawny-flanked Prinia, Prinia subflava (Gmelin, 1789), resident in Africa south of the Sahara. The two are now usually considered to be separate species.

This skulking passerine bird is typically found in wet lowland grassland, open woodland, scrub and sometimes gardens. The Plain Prinia builds its nest in a shrub or tall grass and lays 3-6 eggs. (The Tawny-flanked Prinia nests in herbage and lays 2–4 eggs.)

These 13–14 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 a short white supercilium and rufous fringes on the closed wings. Underparts are whitish-buff. The sexes are identical.

In winter, the upperparts are a warmer brown, and the underparts more buff. The tail is longer than in summer. There are a number of races differing in plumage shade. The endemic race in Sri Lanka retains summer plumage, including the shorter tail, all year round.

Like most warblers, the Plain Prinia is insectivorous. The song is a repetitive tlee-tlee-tlee.

[edit] References

1. ^ BirdLife International (2004). Prinia inornata. 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
2. ^ Grewal, Bikram; Bill Harvey and Otto Pfister (2002). Photographic guide to birds of India. Periplus editions / Princeton University Press.  p. 343

[edit] Other References

• 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
• Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1

[edit] Gallery

at Sindhrot in Vadodara District of Gujarat, India.	at Sindhrot in Vadodara District of Gujarat, India.	at Sindhrot in Vadodara District of Gujarat, India.	In Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
In Kolkata, West Bengal, India.	In Kolkata, West Bengal, India.	Gobbling up the prey in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.	Calling in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
near Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.	at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.