The fasciated wren (''Campylorhynchus fasciatus'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The fasciated wren has two subspecies, the nominate ''Campylorhynchus fasciatus fasciatus'' and ''C. f. pallescens''.

Description

The fasciated wren is approximately long; one female weighed . Both sexes of the nominate have a gray crown, grayish

supercilium The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head.Dunn and Alderfer (2006), p. 10 Also k ...

, and dark gray shoulders, back, and rump. The shoulders have whitish speckles and the rump whitish bars. The tail is barred off-white and blackish brown. The chin is off-white with darker streaks. The whitish chest and belly have heavy dark gray spots and the flanks are barred with dark gray. ''C. f. pallescens'' is paler with less distinct markings on the underside. The juvenile also has less well defined markings on its underside.

Distribution and habitat

The nominate fasciated wren is found in coastal Peru from the

Department of Piura Piura () is a coastal department and region in northwestern Peru. The region's capital is Piura and its largest port cities, Paita and Talara, are also among the most important in Peru. The area is known for its tropical and dry beaches. It i ...

south to the

Department of Lima The Department of Lima (), known as the Department of the Capital () until 1823, is a department and region located in the central coast of Peru; the seat of the regional government is Huacho. Lima Province, which contains the city of Lima, ...

and also inland Peru from the departments of

Cajamarca Cajamarca (), also known by the Quechua name, ''Kashamarka'', is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural and commercial center in the northern Andes. It is located in the northern highlands of Per ...

and Amazonas south to the

Department of Huánuco Huánuco () is a Political division of Peru, department and region in central Peru. It is bordered by the La Libertad Region, La Libertad, San Martín Region, San Martín, Loreto Region, Loreto and Ucayali Region, Ucayali regions in the north, t ...

. ''C. f. pallescens'' is found from southwestern and southern Ecuador into Peru's departments of Tumbes and Piura. The fasciated wren primarily inhabits arid and semi-arid landscapes such as thorny scrublands. It also occurs in citrus orchards and other areas that humans have heavily modified. In Ecuador it uses more humid habitat including deciduous forest. In elevation the species is usually found between sea level and but can be found as high as .

Behavior

Feeding

The fasciated wren's diet is principally invertebrates but also includes some vegetable matter. It forages in groups, mostly in bushes and shrubs but sometimes on the ground.

Breeding

The fasciated wren's breeding season extends from May to August in most areas, but active nests have been noted in February and March in Ecuador. The species is a

cooperative breeder Cooperative breeding is a social system characterized by alloparental care: offspring receive care not only from their parents, but also from additional group members, often called helpers. Cooperative breeding encompasses a wide variety of group s ...

, with groups of up to 10 individuals including a dominant pair. Its nest is a dome with a side entrance, constructed of grass and lined with feathers. It is sited in several species of trees and cactus. It also frequently uses an old mud nest of the pale-legged hornero (''Furnarius leucopus'').

Vocalization

The fasciated wren is a duet or group singer. Its song is "a series of harsh churring notes interspersed with gurgling notes" . Its call is "a harsh 'churr'" .

Status

The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

has assessed the fasciated wren as being of Least Concern. It " ems to adapt well to highly modified habitat, provided that sufficient bushes are left."

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1588229 fasciated wren Birds of Ecuador Birds of Peru fasciated wren Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by William Swainson