About Prinia sylvatica Jerdon, 1840
Prinia sylvatica Jerdon, 1840 is a species of warbler. Individuals of this species measure 15 cm (6 in) in length, and have short rounded wings, a moderately long tail, strong legs, and a short black bill. When in breeding plumage, adult birds are grey-brown on their upperparts, with a short white supercilium and a warmer brown rump. Rufous fringes mark the closed wings, and the tail has white edges. The underparts are whitish-buff. The sexes are identical in appearance, except that breeding males have a blacker bill and mouth than females. In winter plumage, the upperparts are a warmer brown, and the underparts are more buff-colored than in breeding plumage. The winter tail is longer than the tail in summer breeding plumage. Four subspecies, or races, are recognized, each differing from the others in the shade of their plumage. The distinctive endemic race in Sri Lanka, P. s. valida, keeps its summer plumage, including the shorter tail, year-round; this race also lacks both the supercilium and the white coloring on the tail. This prinia is a resident breeding species found in Bangladesh, India, far southwestern Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It typically occurs in dry open grassland, open woodland, and scrub, and can sometimes be found in gardens.
