Ecology and breeding biology of Prinia burnesii burnesii (Blyth, 1844) in the Indus plains

The Rufous-vented Prinia (Prinia burnesii burnesii) is a near threatened grassland passerine bird. The current study aimed to document its bio-ecology and breeding biology. A sensitive camera was used to examine the feeding and breeding behavior. It primarily relied on insects as its main source of diet. Gleaning and probe were the main food capturing behaviors. A total of 33 nests were found, of which 30 were active. Of 33 nests, 21 were built on S. spontaneum grass, 10 on S. munja and two on Prosopis juliflora plants. All the nests were cup-shaped, built on plants with a mean height of 2.63±0.50 meters. The mean clutch size was 3.38±0.5. Both parents took part in nest building and chick rearing. Only female birds consistently incubated the eggs. Incubation and nestling periods lasted for 17±0.51 days (n=23, range=16-18) and 12±0.75 days (n=17, range=11-13), respectively. The total period from nest building to fledging counted for 37.4±1.01 days (n=17, range=36-39). The overall survival rate was 37%. Predation and clearance of grasslands for agricultural purposes are the main threats to its breeding success.