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 and
Southwest Asia, from
Egypt and
Somalia east to
Pakistan and
North India, where it is sometimes called
Streaked Wren-Warbler.
[2]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. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
