Plain Prinia

Prinia inornata flavirostris

Endemic Subspecies

The Plain Prinia is a small (15 cm) bird with grayish brown upperparts, light grayish underparts with yellowish buff flanks, a yellowish buff supercilium and a long tail.  The bill is mostly yellow, the legs are pink and the iris brown.  The Taiwan race flavirostris differs from adjacent mainland forms in having a yellow rather than a blackish bill, and a greenish instead of rufous tinge to the upperparts in winter.

The Plain Prinia feeds mainly on insects such as caterpillars, ants and small beetles, and also on some flower nectar.  Its song is a long, monotonous insect-like trill sustained for ten seconds or more and its calls include a rapidly repeated “chip” or “chi-up” note and a plaintive “tee-tee-tee”.

The Plain Prinia is a common resident of Taiwan in open grassy areas, reed beds, marshes, paddy fields and cultivated land from low to mid elevations.

References:  A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Mackinnon and Phillipps); 100 Common Birds of Taiwan (Wild Bird Society of Taipei); N. J. Collar, “Endemic subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, in Birding ASIA, Number 2, December 2004