When I went birding at Fraser’s Hill last year, it was my first time seeing the Rufescent Prinia in Malaysia up close. I have seen it before, but from quite a distance, so this time, it was a bonus.

Sometimes, it is hard to identify the bird in the bush or tree, especially when it moves around a lot. In most cases, I always encounter situations like that and often don’t get the shot. But this time around, I was lucky that the Rufescent Prinia stopped for a brief moment.

Rufescent Prinia in Malaysia

According to eBird, the Rufescent Prinia is a small prinia with a grey head, warm brown upper parts, and white underparts. It also shows a white eyebrow and a graduated tail with pale tips to the outer tail feathers.

Note warmer brown tones and lack of strongly “vested” appearance when compared with Gray-breasted Prinia. Favours brushy or grassy edges and more open areas, including agricultural fields and gardens. Forages low in vegetation, sometimes in mixed-species groups. The song is an exceptionally loud, resonating “chewchewchewchewchew.”

For more information about this bird, please check Wikipedia on Rufescent Prinia or even eBird, which has a little more detailed info on the region of Malaysia.

To listen to the call, check out the Rufescent Prinia call on Xeno Canto, as several live recordings are done at several locations around Malaysia, Thailand and even China.

Conclusion

This is probably my third sighting of the Rufescent Prinia in Malaysia, and I look forward to seeing more of it on my future trips. Sometimes, birding is all about luck, so let’s see how it goes. And this photo was taken with a FujiFilm X-S10 paired with Fujinon 150-600mm telephoto lens.

For birders and photographers, you can see this bird at Fraser’s Hill and several other locations throughout Malaysia. You can also see my articles and photographs on Malaysian birds, which I have documented over the years.