The plain prinia, also known as the plain wren-warbler or white-browed wren-warbler, is a small cisticolid warbler found in southeast Asia. It is a resident breeder from Pakistan and India to south China and southeast Asia. It was formerly included in the tawny-flanked prinia, resident in Africa south of the Sahara. The two are now usually considered to be separate species.
Region
South and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs widely from Pakistan and India through Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar to southern China and much of mainland Southeast Asia. It favors open habitats such as rough grasslands, scrub, marsh edges, rice paddies, and lightly cultivated fields. The species is common around human settlements where tall grasses and hedges persist. It avoids dense closed-canopy forest but readily uses degraded edges and secondary growth.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Plain prinias are hyperactive grassland warblers that often cock and flick their long tails while foraging. Males deliver a rapid, repetitive song from exposed perches such as reed tops or fence lines. They weave deep cup to oval nests low in tall grass or shrubs, and both parents help feed the chicks. Several subspecies vary subtly in tone across South and Southeast Asia.
Temperament
active and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low undulating flights
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, forming small family groups after breeding. Monogamous pairs defend small territories in dense grass or scrub. The nest is a deep cup or oval structure woven from grasses and fibers, typically placed low in vegetation; clutch size is commonly 3–5 eggs.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a fast, repetitive series of sharp chips or trills that accelerates and can be delivered persistently from exposed perches. Calls include harsh scolds and ticking notes used during foraging and alarm.
Plumage
Plain olive-brown to grey-brown upperparts with paler, buff-washed underparts and whitish throat; generally unstreaked and smooth-textured. Long, graduated tail often held cocked; edges darker with pale tips. Non-breeding birds show a more noticeable pale supercilium; breeding birds may appear slightly greyer above.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small insects such as beetles, hemipterans, caterpillars, and small grasshoppers, as well as spiders and other arthropods. It gleans prey from grass stems, leaves, and low shrubs, and occasionally makes short sallies to snatch flying insects. Seeds or nectar are taken rarely and opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Forages in tall grasses, reeds, weedy field margins, and scrubby hedgerows. Frequently uses rice paddies, canal edges, and village gardens where cover is available.
