Prinia hodgsonii
The Grey-breasted Prinia (*Prinia hodgsonii*) is a delightful and active passerine, a jewel of the Asian avifauna known for its energetic demeanor and distinctive calls. Measuring typically 11-13 cm in length, including its proportionally long, often cocked tail, and weighing a mere 6-9 grams, this warbler-like bird sports a sleek ashy-grey on its crown and upperparts, contrasting with a clean whitish throat and belly, often washed with buff or rufous on the flanks and vent. Key field marks i...
Found in a variety of open, shrubby habitats, including grasslands, scrublands, open woodlands, cultivation edges, and gardens, from sea level up to approximately 2000 meters in elevation.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide range of small invertebrates, including insects and their larvae, gleaned from foliage and stems.
The Grey-breasted Prinia is a highly active and diurnal bird, constantly flitting through dense vegetation, rarely staying still for long. Its primary foraging strategy involves gleaning small invertebrates and larvae from the leaves and stems of shrubs and tall grasses, often performing acrobati...
The Grey-breasted Prinia boasts an expansive geographic distribution across much of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its breeding range encompasses diverse regions from Pakistan and India east through Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Further east, it extends through Myanmar, T...
Least Concern
- The specific epithet 'hodgsonii' honors Brian Houghton Hodgson, a British naturalist who worked extensively in Nepal. - It is sometimes colloquially known as 'Hodgson's Prinia' or 'Grey-backed Prinia'. - Despite its small size, its song can be surprisingly loud and carries well across its habit...