Graceful prinia

The graceful prinia (Prinia gracilis) is a small warbler (in some older works it is referred to as graceful warbler). This prinia is a resident breeder in Northeast Africa (the Nile valley in particular) and southern Asia, from Egypt and Somalia east to Pakistan and North India, where it is sometimes called streaked wren-warbler.[2]

Graceful prinia

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cisticolidae
Genus: Prinia
Species:
P. gracilis
Binomial name
Prinia gracilis
Lichtenstein, 1823
Eggs of Prinia gracilis palaestinae MHNT

This active passerine bird is typically found in shrub or tall grass in a variety of habitats with thick undergrowth, tamarisks or similar cover. Graceful prinia builds its nest in a bush or grass and lays 3-5 eggs.

These 10–11 cm long warblers have short rounded wings, and a long tapering tail with each feather tipped with black and white. In breeding plumage, adults are grey-brown above, with dark streaking. The underparts are whitish with buff flanks, and the bill is short and black.

The sexes are similar. In winter, adults are brighter sandy brown above with weaker streaking, there is more buff on the sides, and the bill is paler.

There are 12 subspecies, of which P. g. akyildizi, of southern Turkey is the darkest, brownest, and most heavily streaked above, and has the brightest buff flanks.

The long tail is often cocked, and the flight of this species is weak. Like most warblers, graceful prinia is insectivorous. The call is a rolling trilled breep, and the song is a hard rolling repletion of zerlip.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Prinia gracilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Ali, Salim; J C Daniel (1983). The book of Indian Birds, Twelfth Centenary edition. New Delhi: Bombay Natural History Society/Oxford University Press.

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
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