About Prinia maculosa (Boddaert, 1783)
The Karoo prinia, scientifically known as Prinia maculosa (Boddaert, 1783), measures 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) in length. It has short rounded wings, a somewhat long tail, strong legs, and a short straight black bill. A whitish eyebrow marks its head, and the rest of its upperparts are brown. Its throat and lower face are whitish with dark streaking, while the remainder of its underparts are yellowish white or yellow with distinct black streaking. Its long tail has a dark spot near the tip, and is typically held cocked upward at an angle. Its feet and legs are pinkish-brown, and its eye is dark brown. Male and female Karoo prinias are identical in appearance, but juveniles are much yellower on the underparts than adults and have less heavy streaking. This species produces two distinct calls: a sharp repeating chleet-chleet-chleet-chleet-chleet-chleet, and a fast buzzing repeating tit-tit-tit-tit-tit. It can only be mistaken for the closely related Drakensberg prinia, but differs by having less yellow underparts with heavier spotting than that species.
