Grey-breasted Prinia

I photographed this Grey-breasted Prinia, Prinia hodgsonii using Canon EOS 7D with Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM lens. This skulking passerine warbler is typically found in open woodland, scrub jungle, and other open areas with some grass. This prinia is a resident breeder in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka and southeast Asia.

These 11-to-13-centimetre (4 to 5 in) long warblers have short rounded wings, a longish tail, strong legs and a short black bill. In breeding plumage, adults are grey-brown above, with no supercilium, a black eye stripe and orange eyering. They have a rufous wing panel. Grey-breasted Prinia’s underparts are white with a grey breast band. The sexes are identical.

Grey-breasted Prinia

Non-breeding birds have browner upperpart plumage and a white supercilium, but lack the breast band. Young birds are like non-breeding adults but more rufous above. There are a number of subspecies. The distinctive greyer endemic race in Sri Lanka, Prinia hodgsonii leggei, retains summer-type plumage all year round.

Grey-breasted Prinia

Like most warblers, Grey-breasted Prinia is insectivorous. The song is a repetitive chiwee-chiwee-chiwee-chip-chip-chip.