Namaqua Prinia
Encyclopedia
The Namaqua Prinia also known as the Namaqua Warbler or White-breasted Prinia, is a small passerine
bird
, a cisticolid warbler and the sole member of the genus Phragmacia. It was formerly placed in the genus Prinia
, but was found to be sufficiently distinct to warrant a genus of its own.
and the upperparts are otherwisea rich russet brown. The throat and lower face are whitish with no streaking and the breast is white with faint streaking. The rear flanks are buff. The long brown tail is typically cocked up at an angle. The feet and legs are pinkish-brown, and the eye is brown. The sexes are identical, but juveniles are duller than the adults. The calls include a high-pitched treeep-treep-trrrrrr.
The Namaqua Prinia can only be confused with the Karoo Prinia
, but that species has a shorter, less whispy tail, duller brown back and buff tips to the undertail feathers.
and southern Namibia
. It is a species endemic to the karoo
in thick bushes in dry river gullies and reedbeds near rivers and dams.
s, with tail cocked.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
, a cisticolid warbler and the sole member of the genus Phragmacia. It was formerly placed in the genus Prinia
Prinia
The prinias are a genus of small insectivorous birds belonging to the passerine bird family Cisticolidae. They are often also alternatively classed in the Old World warbler family, Sylviidae. The name of the genus is derived from the Javanese prinya, the local name for the Bar-winged Prinia.The...
, but was found to be sufficiently distinct to warrant a genus of its own.
Description
The Namaqua Prinia is 12–13 cm long, with short rounded wings, a long tail, strong legs and a short straight black bill. The head has a whitish eyebrowSupercilium
The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head. Also known as an "eyebrow", it is distinct from the eyestripe, which is a line which runs...
and the upperparts are otherwisea rich russet brown. The throat and lower face are whitish with no streaking and the breast is white with faint streaking. The rear flanks are buff. The long brown tail is typically cocked up at an angle. The feet and legs are pinkish-brown, and the eye is brown. The sexes are identical, but juveniles are duller than the adults. The calls include a high-pitched treeep-treep-trrrrrr.
The Namaqua Prinia can only be confused with the Karoo Prinia
Karoo Prinia
The Karoo Prinia or Spotted Prinia, Prinia maculosa, is a small passerine bird. This prinia is a southern African endemic resident breeder in Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland....
, but that species has a shorter, less whispy tail, duller brown back and buff tips to the undertail feathers.
Distribution and habitat
This is a resident breeder in western South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and southern Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. It is a species endemic to the karoo
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
in thick bushes in dry river gullies and reedbeds near rivers and dams.
Behaviour
The prinia is usually seen in pairs or small groups, typically low in scrub, foraging for small insectInsect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, with tail cocked.