Bird Guide

Grey-breasted Prinia vs Karoo Prinia

Grey-breasted Prinia (Prinia hodgsonii)

Grey-breasted Prinia

Prinia hodgsonii

Tiny6 gShrubland

These 11-to-13-centimetre (4 to 5 in) long warblers have a longish grey tail with graduated feathers that are tipped in white, they have strong pinkish legs and a short black bill. The eye ring is orange. The sexes look alike in most populations except in P .h. pectoralis of Sri Lanka where the female can be told apart by the incomplete breast band. The underparts are buff white and the grey breast band contrasts with the white throat in the breeding season. They have a rufous wing panel and the upperparts are smoky grey during the breeding season and olive brown in the non-breeding period. Voice: In breeding season, the male gives a spirited performance from an exposed perch excitedly warbling his squeaky yousee-yousee-yousee-which-which-which song. A conversational call-note, zee zee zee is uttered as the birds move along.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Jairam Vijayan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: J.M.Garg · CC BY 3.0
Karoo Prinia (Prinia maculosa)

Karoo Prinia

Prinia maculosa

Tiny9 gShrubland

The Karoo prinia is 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) long, with short rounded wings, a longish tail, strong legs and a short straight black bill. The head has a whitish eyebrow and the upperparts are otherwise brown. The throat and lower face are whitish with dark streaking and the rest of the underparts are yellowish white or yellow with distinct black streaking. The long tail has a dark spot near the end and is typically cocked up at an angle. The feet and legs are pinkish-brown, and the eye is dark brown.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) William Stephens, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by William Stephens · cc-by

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Grey-breasted Prinia and Karoo Prinia.