Ashy Prinia - Behaviour and Ecology

Behaviour and Ecology

Like most warblers, the Ashy Prinia is insectivorous. The song is a repetitive tchup, tchup, tchup or zeet-zeet-zeet. Another call is a nasal tee-tee-tee. It also makes a sound like "electric sparks" during the fluttery flight which is thought to be produced by the wings. (one author however suggests that it is made by the beak)

It is most easily distinguished by the loud snapping noise it makes during flight. How this noise is produced we do not know for certain. Reid was of opinion that the bird snapped its long tail. What exactly this means I do not know. Jesse believes that the sound is produced by the bird's mandibles. I have spent much time in watching the bird, and am inclined to think that the noise is caused by the beating of the wings against the tail. This last is constantly being wagged and jerked, and it seems to me that the wings beat against it as the bird flits about. When doves and pigeons fly, their wings frequently meet, causing a flapping sound. I am of opinion that something similar occurs when the ashy wren-warbler takes to its wings. —Douglas Dewar

The non-migratory Prinia genus shows biannual moult which is rare among passerines. A moult occurs in spring (April–May) and another moult occurs in autumn (October–November). Biannual moult is theorized to be favoured when ectoparasite loads are very high, however no investigations have been made. Prinia socialis moults some remiges twice a year and is termed to have a partially biannual moult however some authors describe P. socialis socialis as having two complete moults.

Birds stay in pairs but roost singly on the branch of a small tree or shrub.