Web of Life

The white-browed Prinia (Prinia Inornata Insularis) is also known as the Plain Prinia, Plain Wren-Warbler, common Wren-Warbler and the Tawny-flanked Prinia. It is 13cm (5-inches) in length, or slightly smaller than a house sparrow. It is slender in build with a long graduated tail. The upper parts are a dull grayish brown (sandy brown). A prominent brow (supercilium) can be seen from the beak upto a point behind the eyes. A dark eye-stripe borders the lower border of the brow, making it more prominent.

The chin, throat, breast and abdomen are dirty white, brownish-white or yellowish-white in colour. The tail feathers have a white tip beneath, preceded by a black line. These markings on the underside of the tail become conspicuous when the tail is jerked-up. The beak is black with a pale base; eyes deep red; legs and feet pink or reddish. Males and females look similar.

It is an active, noisy bird that is found in pairs or small parties. It inhabits wide open areas covered with low bushes and tall grasses and is often found near water bodies, especially in marshes, reed beds and paddy fields. It constantly flips from branch to branch in a jerky manner and takes short flights from one clump of plants to another. The tail is usually kept cocked-up and is slightly spread and flipped up and down. A series of call notes are uttered among them are a long drawn "cheee", a "chirrik-chirrik" note, a shorter "chik" and a short song.

The song is usually uttered from a higher point but the other notes are made while flipping around and in flight. It feeds on a wide variety of insects and other small creatures that are picked up from the branches and leaves of the plants.

The white-browed Prinia breeds throughout the year, except during periods of very heavy rain. The nest is made out of thin strips of grasses and is fastened usually to the stems of reeds or tall grasses. It is a deep oval shaped structure, beautifully and neatly woven with an entrance from the side of the top. The opening is conceded cleverly and the birds wriggle in and out. The eggs usually number 3 or 4, though occasional nests may have 2 or 5 eggs. They are bright greenish-blue in colour with dark brown spots, blotches and markings. The eggs and the young are tended by both parents.

It is a peaceful bird that can be seen in the company of other warblers and Prinias that share their habitats. It is wary of human beings and does not allow a close approach. It is found throughout the low-country wet and dry zones and in the hills up to 1,800 metres. It is very common in the grassland (patana) of the Uva Province. This bird does not fly high and the usual area of activity is a height of 3 to 4 feet from the ground. However, it is not a ground dweller and spends all the time amidst the vegetation. The spread of some tall alien species of grasses such as the Guinea Grasses and Fox-tail Grasses has helped the white-browed Prinia a lot by providing suitable new habitats. It is well established in many places where these tall grasses are. This species is often seen in suitable open areas of busy towns including Colombo.

The sub-species found in Sri Lanka, Prinia Inornata Insularis is endemic to the country, and is distinguished by the black bill with the pale base and the darker colour of the upper parts. Vincent Legge thought it to be an endemic species and named it Drymoeca Insularis. The endemic sub-species was described and named by Hugh Whistler and considered the specimen collected by Legge at Hurulu Wewa (Hurulle Tank according to Legge) as the type specimen.

This particular specimen has been illustrated in colour in Volume II of "A history of the birds of Ceylon by Vincent Legge (1880)". The white browed prinia is found throughout Asia and Africa.