- Prinia subflava
Identification
10-13 cm. Grey brown upperparts with rufous-brown edges to the flight feathers, rufous tinge to the rump, white throat and breast, buff flanks and vent, white stripe over the eye, dark lores, white tipped tail feathers and a dark subterminal band, long slender bill. Sexes similar. Non-breeding birds have a longer tail than breeding birds. Juveniles have pale yellow underparts and bill.
Distribution
Taxonomy
Eight subspecies are recognized:
- P.s. subflava
- P.s. pallescens
- P.s. melanorhyncha
- P.s. graueri
- P.s. affinis
- P.s. bechuanae
- P.s. mutatrix
- P.s. kasokae
- P.s. tenella
- P.s. pondoensis
Habitat
Broadleafed woodland and thick vegetation; shrubs and grass, woodland, savanna and cultivated areas.
Behaviour
The diet includes insects and other invertebrates.
A purse-shaped nest is made of strips of grass woven together. 2-4 eggs are laid; they usually have brown or purple spots or blotches.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
