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Distribution
The Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis) is a common bird found mainly in the central, western and southern parts of the India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. It is also known as ashy wren-warbler.
Size
The size is about 13-14cm in length.
Habitats
Ashy Prinia is a common visitor in urban gardens, bushes, trees, and farmland in many parts of India. Due to its small size, but having distinctive colors and upright tail make it easy to identify. Thus the northern populations have a rufous rump and back and have a dissimilar breeding and non-breeding plumage while other populations lack such variation. Ashy Wren-warbler habitat is tall grassland and scrub along wetlands, open scrub jungle, mangroves, cultivations and gardens.
Ashy Prinia Voice
Ashy Prinia is skulking but active forager low down in tall grass or scrub. Ashy Prinia songs from prominent perch or during display flight. Hence, this active bird is easily notable by the loud snapping noise it makes during flight. However, some believe noise is produced snapped its long tail or bird’s mandibles.
Ashy Prinia Call
Ashy Prinia call is very loud, cheerful, wheezy jimmy-jimmy-jimmy. The Ashy Prinia sounds include a sharp, nasal tee-tee-tee and a cracking kit kit kit.
Ashy Prinia Song
Ashy Prinia song is a repetitive tchup, tchup, tchup, tchup or zeeet-zeeet-zeeet.
Ashy Prinia Sounds
Moreover another call is noticed of nasal tee-tee-tee. Ashy Prinia sound like “electric sparks” during its fluttery flight, which is thought to be produced by the wings however, many birders suggest that it is made by the beak.
Nest
The nesting season ranges from March to September but more commonly immediately after the onset of the monsoon. It is known to build two types of nests). One is similar to that of a tailor bird (Orthotomus sutorius) and is constructed by arranging fibers in a circular manner inside a froreel formed by one or two leaves stitched together at the margin.
The other is an oval bag of woven fibers stitched together with several supporting leaves. It has been noticed a third variety in a hedge (Clerodendron phlomidis) where the bag of fibers was attached to the slender twigs only by means of cobweb without incorporating the small leaves of the plant. The species is known to require about two weeks for completion of its nest. The clutch size is three or four, and the period of incubation 12 days.
Related Reading – Ashy-crowned Lark
