Alternative name: Rufous-vented Prinia
- Laticilla burnesii
Prinia burnesii
Identification
17cm. Brown above, buffy collar. Dark streaking starts at the forehead and fades on the back. The underparts are white with a tawny hue and dark streaking on the flanks. The undertail coverts are bright rufous or chestnut. Barred wings, wing linings are a faintly tawny off-white. Greyish or olive-brown and have rufous tipped tail. White eye-ring, whitish lores, and dark-streaked whitish cheeks. The upper mandible is horn-brown; the lower, straw-brown or flesh-brown. Brown eyes, flesh-colored or pale brown legs.
Distribution
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recognized[1].
- L. b. burnesii -- Indus River Valley of Pakistan, and northwestern India (Punjab)
- L. b. nipalensis -- eastern Nepal
This species was recently moved from genus Prinia to genus Laticilla. As part of that move, the subspecies name nepalicola reverts to the original nipalensis.
Habitat
Wetlands, swamps, grasslands and reedbeds.
Behaviour
Diet includes insects.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.1)_red. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.1. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- Birdforum thread discussing taxonomy of this and related species
- BBC News: 'New type of bird' found in Nepal
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Rufous-vented Grass Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rufous-vented_Grass_Babbler
