Plain Prinia

Plain Prinia Prinia inornata is a member of the Cisticola family Cisticolidae and was one of about ten birds of this species seen on the tour, six of which were on this day. I am not sure why rest rooms are good places to see birds but this was at least the second bird of the tour which perched photogenically very close to the aforementioned facilities, the other being the previously posted Thailand Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea.

This fairly nondescript bird was perched on barbed wire very close to the camera which allowed the key identification features (or perhaps lack of features) to be observed. The upper parts are grey brown with no colour distinction between the mantle, lower back and upper tail; the tail is long and cocked in common with other Prinia species; the supercilium is long and extends behind the eye; the bill is fine and its brownish colour with a paler lower mandible indicates a bird in non-breeding plumage.

Plain Prinia is a resident breeder from Pakistan and India to south China and southeast Asia. It was formerly included with Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava, a common resident in Africa south of the Sahara. The two are now usually considered to be separate species. This skulking passerine bird is typically found in wet lowland grassland, open woodland, scrub and sometimes gardens.

Reference: Wikipedia