Photo: Nicolas Huet / Jean Gabriel Prêtre / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown Prinia
Prinia polychroa
Brown Prinia (Prinia polychroa) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown Prinia (Prinia polychroa) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 10.9 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 polychroa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 10.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown 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 Brown Prinia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown Prinia (Prinia polychroa) is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR se Asia and Java.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 10.9 g, with a wing length of about 5.7 cm and a tail of around 7.4 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 734,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown Prinia?
The Brown Prinia is a very small bird that weighs around 10.9 g.
Where does the Brown Prinia live?
The Brown Prinia is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR se Asia and Java, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Brown Prinia belong to?
The Brown Prinia (Prinia polychroa) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Brown Prinia eat?
The Brown Prinia is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown Prinia migrate?
The Brown Prinia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown 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 Brown Prinia make?
1 real field recording of the Brown Prinia — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown Prinia's range?
The Brown Prinia has a mapped global range of about 734,000 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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