Photo: William Nortje / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-chested Prinia
Prinia flavicans
Black-chested Prinia (Prinia flavicans) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-chested Prinia (Prinia flavicans) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 8.7 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 flavicans
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-chested Prinia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-chested Prinia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-chested Prinia (Prinia flavicans) belongs to the Cisticolidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF s.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.7 g, with a wing length of about 5.3 cm and a tail of around 6.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-chested Prinia?
The Black-chested Prinia is a very small bird that weighs around 8.7 g.
Where does the Black-chested Prinia live?
The Black-chested Prinia is found across Africa with a range covering AF s, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-chested Prinia belong to?
The Black-chested Prinia (Prinia flavicans) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-chested Prinia eat?
The Black-chested Prinia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-chested Prinia migrate?
The Black-chested Prinia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-chested 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 Black-chested Prinia make?
1 real field recording of the Black-chested Prinia can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-chested Prinia's range?
The Black-chested Prinia has a mapped global range of about 2.7 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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