prinia

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prinia

bird

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Related Topics:: Sylviidae

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prinia, any bird of the large genus Prinia, belonging to the Old World warbler family, Sylviidae. Prinias are sometimes called longtail warblers or wren-warblers, from their long, graduated tails, which are carried, wrenlike, cocked up. Prinias, 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches) long, are more strongly marked than most sylviids. They make beautifully woven purselike nests, which are suspended from twigs or attached to tall grass stalks; often the nest is sewn to the foliage.

Abundant in most of sub-Saharan Africa and from Bangladesh to Indochina, in rank growth and garden shrubbery, is the tawny flanked prinia (P. subflava). Also well known is the black-chested prinia (P. flavicans) of southern Africa. The ashy prinia (P. socialis) is one of the most common birds found in India.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.