Rufescent Prinia
Prinia rufescens
Small prinia with gray head, warm brown upperparts, and white underparts. Also shows white eyebrow and graduated tail with pale tips to the outer tail feathers. Note warmer brown tones and lack of strongly “vested” appearance when compared with Gray-breasted Prinia. Favors brushy or grassy edges as well as more open areas, including agricultural fields and gardens. Forages low in the vegetation, sometimes in mixed-species groups. Song is a loud, resonating “chewchewchewchewchew.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Prinia rufescens
- Authority
- Blyth, 1847
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Genus
- Prinia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Blue-vented Hummingbird
Saucerottia hoffmanni
Fairly small dark hummingbird, green overall with dark blue tail. Straight, medium-length bill. Copper rump and absence of rufous wing flash help distinguish from other similar species. Sexes similar. Usually seen feeding singly in flowers along forest edge, shrubby second growth, and gardens.
Speckled Chachalaca
Ortalis guttata
Large chickenlike bird, but smaller than guans and curassows. Plain brown with a scaly neck and head, and bare red skin on throat that can be difficult to see. Most commonly found in forest edge habitats, including along rivers and around agricultural areas. Loud, raucous calls are often heard around dawn and dusk, when the calls of one individual often initiate a chorus of calls from other chachalacas in the area.
Mottled Owl
Strix virgata
A common, fairly large owl of tropical lowlands and foothills. Found in forests, woodlands, plantations, gardens, and towns. Roosts during the day at all levels in dense cover of taller trees, but at night it often hunts from low perches such as fence posts and road signs. Note the rounded head, brown eyes framed with whitish crescents on either side of the bill, and overall brown plumage that is streaked below. Varied gruff hoots can suggest a dog barking.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.