Graceful prinia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Graceful prinia |
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Prinia
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| Species: |
gracilis
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The graceful prinia (Prinia gracilis) is a small warbler bird. Some older books called it the graceful warbler. This prinia lives all year in northeastern Africa and southern Asia. You can find it from Egypt and Somalia all the way east to Saudi Arabia. In some places, it is also known as the streaked wren-warbler.
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About the Graceful Prinia
This active passerine bird is often seen in bushes or tall grass. It likes areas with thick plants, tamarisk trees, or similar hiding spots. Graceful prinias are about 10 to 11 centimeters (4 to 4.3 inches) long. They have short, rounded wings. Their tail is long and tapers to a point. Each tail feather has a black and white tip.
What They Look Like
When it's time to breed, adult graceful prinias are grey-brown on top. They have dark streaks on their back. Their belly is whitish, and their sides are a light brown color. They have a short, black beak. Both male and female birds look very similar.
In winter, their feathers become a brighter sandy brown on top. The streaks on their back are not as strong. Their sides have more light brown color, and their beak is lighter.
What They Eat and Sound Like
Like most warblers, the graceful prinia eats mostly insects. Its long tail often sticks up. This bird's flight is not very strong. Its call is a rolling trilled sound, like breep. Its song is a fast, rolling repetition that sounds like zerlip.
Where They Live
There are seven different types, or subspecies, of the graceful prinia. Each type lives in a specific area. For example, one type lives along the Nile River in Egypt and Sudan. Another type lives from Lebanon to northwestern Saudi Arabia. The International Ornithologists' Union decided in 2021 that the graceful prinia is its own species. Before that, it was grouped with another bird called the delicate prinia.
Graceful Prinia Subspecies
- Prinia gracilis gracilis: Found along the Nile River from Egypt to southern Sudan.
- Prinia gracilis deltae: Lives in the Nile River delta and western Israel.
- Prinia gracilis palaestinae: Found from Lebanon to northwestern Saudi Arabia.
- Prinia gracilis natronensis: Lives in Wadi Natron, northern Egypt.
- Prinia gracilis carlo: Found along the Red Sea coast from northeastern Sudan to Somalia.
- Prinia gracilis yemenensis: Lives in western Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and southern Oman.
- Prinia gracilis hufufae: Found in Bahrain and northeastern Saudi Arabia.
Reproduction and Nesting
The graceful prinia builds its nest in a bush or in tall grass. The female bird usually lays 3 to 5 eggs.
