The Bar-winged Prinia (Prinia familiaris) is a species of bird in the
cisti cola
family Cisticolidae. The species is sometimes known as the Bar-winged
Wren-warbler. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it occurs on the islands
of Sumatra (where it occurs on the east of the island), Java and Bali.
It occupies a wide range of habitats, from mangrove forest at sea level
to montane forest, and is tolerant of human modified environments such
as gardens, parks and plantations. The presence of humans within its
range is common and its willingness to adapt to the subsequent modified
landscapes means it is not threatened with extinction.The Bar-winged
Prinia is a distinctive prinia, 13 cm long and weighing 8-10 gm.The
plumage is white grading to yellow below with a grey cap and brown back
and wings and a distinctive white double wingbar. The rump is yellow and
the tail brown, with orange legs. Both sexes are alike and the juveniles
resemble the adults. The song is a loud and repetitive high pitched
chweet-chweet-chweet.
The Bar-winged Prinia feeds on insects. It forages by gleaning from
leaves and other surfaces, and it will forage from the ground to the
tops of trees. During the non-breeding season it occurs in groups with
others of its species, but when breeding it is territorial (although the
breeding season is poorly defined, mostly occurring in March to June in
Java but some breeding occurring throughout the year. The species
constructs an oblong domed nest suspended with spiderweb to branches,
usually placed low to the ground. Not much is known about its breeding
biology, but it does have a clutch size of between two to four eggs. |
