Photo: Tisha Mukherjee / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Ashy Prinia
Prinia socialis
Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Cisticolidae Cisticolas & Allies
- Genus Prinia
- Species socialis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Ashy Prinia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Ashy Prinia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis) belongs to the Cisticolidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8 g, with a wing length of about 5 cm and a tail of around 6.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Ashy Prinia?
The Ashy Prinia is a very small bird that weighs around 8 g.
Where does the Ashy Prinia live?
The Ashy Prinia is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Ashy Prinia belong to?
The Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Ashy Prinia eat?
The Ashy Prinia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Ashy Prinia migrate?
The Ashy Prinia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Ashy Prinia endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Ashy Prinia make?
1 real field recording of the Ashy Prinia can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Ashy Prinia's range?
The Ashy Prinia has a mapped global range of about 2.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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