Drakensberg Prinia
Prinia hypoxantha
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCisticolidae (Cisticolas and Allies)
- GenusPrinia (Prinias)
- SpeciesPrinia hypoxantha (Drakensberg Prinia)
About the Drakensberg Prinia
The Drakensberg prinia or saffron-breasted prinia (Prinia hypoxantha) is a small passerine bird. It lives in eastern South Africa and Eswatini. It lives in the Drakensberg's forest edges, wooded gullies and bracken covered slopes. The Drakensberg prinia was formerly considered to be a subspecies P. m. hypoxantha of the Karoo prinia, P. maculosa.
The Drakensberg prinia is 12–14 cm (4.7–5.5 in) long, with short rounded wings, a longish tail, strong legs and a short straight black bill. The head has a whitish eyebrow and the upperparts are otherwise brown. The throat and lower face are whitish with no streaking and the rest of the underparts are yellowish with dark streaking. The long tail has a dark spot near the end and is typically cocked up at an angle. The feet and legs are pinkish-brown, and the eye is pale.
The sexes are identical, but juveniles are paler below than the adults. The calls of this species include a sharp chleet-chleet-chleet-chleet-chleet-chleet, and a fast buzzy tit-tit-tit-tit-tit. The Drakensberg prinia can only be confused with the closely related Karoo prinia, but that species has less yellow underparts with heavier spotting. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Karoo Prinia
Prinia maculosa
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Prinia subflava
Levaillant's Cisticola
Cisticola tinniens
Wailing Cisticola
Cisticola lais
Wing-snapping Cisticola
Cisticola ayresii
Piping Cisticola
Cisticola fulvicapilla
Zitting Cisticola
Cisticola juncidis
Rock-loving Cisticola
Cisticola aberrans
Cloud Cisticola
Cisticola textrix
Pale-crowned Cisticola
Cisticola cinnamomeus
Rattling Cisticola
Cisticola chiniana
Gray Cisticola
Cisticola rufilatus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Drakensberg Prinia in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Drakensberg Prinia sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Drakensberg Prinia in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Drakensberg Prinia in Golden Gate Highlands National Park in our monthly data.