Red-winged Prinia
Prinia erythroptera
Long-tailed warbler with pale underparts and a rufous wing. The color of the head and back is grayish in breeding plumage and brown in non-breeding plumage. Found in areas of lush woodland with tall grass. Usually in the undergrowth, but will perch up sometimes, as when singing. The song is a fast series of whistled calls by one bird, often accompanied by “tik” notes from another. Similar to Tawny-flanked Prinia, but separated by the rufous wing and lack of a pale eyebrow.
Taxonomy
The red-winged prinia was described by the Scottish naturalist William Jardine in 1849 under the binomial name Drymoica erythroptera. The type locality is West Africa. The specific epithet erythroptera comes from the Ancient Greek eruthros for "red" and -pteros, "-winged".<p>There are four subspecies:<p>Most taxonomists place this species in the genus Prinia rather than in its own monotypic genus Heliolais. Support for this alternative placement is provided by a molecular phylogenetic study of the Cisticolidae published in 2013 that found that the red-winged warbler was closely related to the prinias.
- Scientific name
- Prinia erythroptera
- Authority
- (Jardine, 1849)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Genus
- Prinia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Brown-backed Needletail
Hirundapus giganteus
A very large swift with broad wings pinched at the base, a protruding front, and a bulky rear. Short tail has well-defined spines that can be seen even in fast flight. It has blackish-brown upperparts with a pale-brown saddle, often difficult to make out; the underparts from the throat to the lower breast are dark brown, ending in a well-demarcated deep “V” that contrasts strongly with the white belly, vent, and undertail. When seen well, it shows white lores, a feature absent in other large needletails. It has an extremely fast and powerful flight and hence can suddenly appear from nowhere and disappear quickly.
Black-faced Solitaire
Myadestes melanops
Sleek medium-sized thrush with a beautiful voice. Listen for its fluty, ethereal phrases drifting over montane forests. Sexes alike: entirely gray with black face, black wings, and orangey bill and legs. Juveniles confusingly browner and spotted, but note similar shape, small bill, and dark face. Unobtrusive and not very active; most often seen while feeding at a fruiting tree.
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