Ashy Prinia
Prinia socialis
During the breeding season, males make a distinct 'snapping' sound with their wings while flying.
- Scientific name
- Prinia socialis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Cisticolidae › Prinia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Scrubland, tall grasslands, reedbeds, and urban gardens.
- Diet
- Mainly insects like caterpillars and beetles, supplemented by nectar from flowers.
- Range
- India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan
- Size
- 13-14 cm long with a long, graduated tail.
- Lifespan
- 3-5 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Pesticide use in gardens and loss of native scrub habitat.
- Safe to approach?
- Entirely harmless to humans. These birds are bold and can be observed from a few meters away in gardens or parks. No special precautions are needed; simply enjoy their active displays and snapping flight sounds.
The ashy prinia or ashy wren-warbler ( Prinia socialis ) is a small warbler. This prinia is a resident breeder in the Indian Subcontinent, ranging across most of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and western Myanmar. It is a common bird in urban gardens and farmland in many parts of India and its small size, distinctive colours and upright tail make it easy to identify. The northern populations have a rufous rump and back and have a...
Photo: Chayant Gonsalves, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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