Tawny-flanked Prinia

Prinia subflava

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyCisticolidae (Cisticolas and Allies)
GenusPrinia (Prinias)
SpeciesPrinia subflava (Tawny-flanked Prinia)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Etosha National Park

1 Verified sightings at Etosha National Park From 2019 to 2026

12,506 Verified sightings across all 50 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Tawny-flanked Prinia

The tawny-flanked prinia (Prinia subflava) is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Prinia in the family Cisticolidae, a family of Old World warblers. It is widespread and common in most parts of Africa south of the Sahara. The plain prinia (P. inornata) of southern Asia was formerly included in this species but is now usually considered to be a separate species.

The tawny-flanked prinia was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the wagtails in the genus Motacilla and coined the binomial name Motacilla subflava. The specific epithet combines the Latin sub meaning "beneath" or "somewhat" with flavus meaning "yellow". Gmelin based his account on a hand coloured engraving by François-Nicolas Martinet that was published to accompany the Comte de Buffon's multi-volume work, the Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. The tawny-flanked prinia is now one of 30 species placed in the genus Prinia that was introduced by the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield in 1821.

Ten subspecies are recognised: P. s. subflava (Gmelin, JF, 1789) — south Mauritania... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Etosha National Park

Prinia flavicans

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Eremomela icteropygialis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Camaroptera brachyura

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Cisticola aridulus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Cisticola chiniana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Apalis flavida

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Calamonastes fasciolatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Malcorus pectoralis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Eremomela usticollis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Cisticola juncidis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Dicrurus adsimilis

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Lamprotornis nitens

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
2	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
3	Bale Mountains National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~40%
4	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~30%
5	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
6	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~30%
7	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~30%
8	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
9	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
10	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	~20%
11	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
12	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
13	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
14	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
15	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
16	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
17	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
18	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
19	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
20	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
21	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~20%
22	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~20%
23	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~20%
24	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~20%
25	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
26	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
27	Selous Game Reserve	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
28	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
29	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
30	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
31	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~10%
32	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
33	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
34	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
35	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~10%
36	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
37	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
38	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
39	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~10%
40	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
41	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~10%
42	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~10%
43	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
44	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
45	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
46	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
47	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
48	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
49	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
50	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data

← Back to Etosha National Park

Tawny-flanked Prinia

About the Tawny-flanked Prinia

Recent sightings of Tawny-flanked Prinia in Etosha National Park

Closest Relatives at Etosha National Park

Black-chested Prinia

Yellow-bellied Eremomela

Green-backed Camaroptera

Desert Cisticola

Rattling Cisticola

Yellow-breasted Apalis

Barred Wren-Warbler

Rufous-eared Warbler

Burnt-neck Eremomela

Zitting Cisticola

Fork-tailed Drongo

Red-shouldered Glossy-starling

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found