The red-fronted prinia, also known as the red-fronted warbler and the red-faced apalis, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.
Region
Horn of Africa and East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily across dry savannas, semi-arid thornbush, and open acacia scrub. Favors stony slopes, wadis, and bushy plains with scattered shrubs and grasses. Frequently keeps close to low cover, moving between bushes and foraging near the ground. Avoids dense forest and very humid zones, but can persist in lightly grazed or degraded shrublands.
Altitude Range
0–2000 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the red-fronted warbler and sometimes the red-faced apalis, this small cisticolid is adapted to arid thorn-scrub and dry savanna. It often cocks and fans its long, graduated tail while foraging low in bushes. Pairs keep loose territories and may duet, delivering a dry, buzzy song from exposed perches. Its wide range and tolerance of scrubby habitats contribute to a secure conservation status.
Temperament
shy but active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and direct between bushes
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories in shrublands. Monogamous pairs build a neat, domed or cup-shaped nest low in dense scrub. Both parents participate in caring for the young, and family groups may remain loosely associated after fledging.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a dry, buzzy series of trills and chirrs delivered from exposed perches. Calls include thin chips and rattling notes used to keep contact while moving through cover.
Plumage
Warm sandy-brown upperparts with paler buff underparts and a whitish throat; long, graduated tail often held cocked. Forehead to forecrown shows a rufous or reddish wash. Tail has darker central feathers with pale or white tips on outer rectrices.
Diet
Primarily small insects such as beetles, ants, termites, and caterpillars, as well as spiders and other arthropods. Gleans prey from foliage, twigs, and the ground, often making short hops between low bushes. Occasionally hawks briefly for flying insects.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in low, thorny scrub, acacia thickets, and bushy savanna edges, keeping close to cover. Often forages along stony washes and among scattered shrubs where leaf litter and low branches provide hunting sites.
