Prinia familiaris
The Bar-winged Prinia, *Prinia familiaris*, is a sprightly and diminutive Old World warbler, measuring approximately 11-13 cm in length, often with a tail that equals or exceeds its body. Its plumage is characterized by plain greyish-brown upperparts, contrasting with clean white underparts and a distinctive rufous wash on the flanks and undertail coverts. The most defining field mark, from which it derives its common name, is the prominent dark barring on its tertial and secondary flight fea...
Found in a variety of open country habitats including grasslands, scrub, gardens, plantations, and agricultural land, typically at low to moderate elevations up to around 1,500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide range of small insects and their larvae, spiders, and other invertebrates, obtained through gleaning from foliage and flowers.
Bar-winged Prinias are highly active, diurnal birds, constantly flitting through vegetation with a characteristic tail-cocking and twitching motion. They primarily forage by gleaning insects from foliage and probing into flowers, often hanging upside down to access prey. While generally solitary ...
The Bar-winged Prinia is native to Southeast Asia, with a wide distribution encompassing the Greater Sunda Islands and parts of the Philippines. Its primary range includes the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, and Borneo, where it is a common resident. In the Philippines, it is found ...
Least Concern
- Its name, "familiaris," hints at its common presence in human-modified landscapes like gardens and farmlands. - The Bar-winged Prinia is often observed hanging upside down while foraging, a testament to its acrobatic skills among vegetation. - Their nest is a marvel of avian architecture: a dee...