Wrens are a family of brown

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by th ...

birds in the predominantly

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Troglodytidae. The family includes 88

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

divided into 19 genera. Only the

Eurasian wren The Eurasian wren (''Troglodytes troglodytes'') or northern wren is a very small insectivorous bird, and the only member of the wren family Troglodytidae found in Eurasia and Africa (Maghreb). In Anglophone Europe, it is commonly known simply a ...

occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is commonly known simply as the "wren", as it is the originator of the name. The name ''wren'' has been applied to other, unrelated birds, particularly the New Zealand wrens (

Acanthisittidae The New Zealand wrens are a family (Acanthisittidae) of tiny passerines endemic to New Zealand. They were represented by seven Holocene species in four or five genera, although only two species in two genera survive today. They are understood to ...

) and the Australian wrens (

Maluridae The Australasian wrens are a family, Maluridae, of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. While commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the true wrens. The family comprises 32 species (including sixteen ...

). Most wrens are visually inconspicuous though they have loud and often complex songs. Exceptions include the relatively large members of the genus ''

Campylorhynchus ''Campylorhynchus'' is a genus of wrens, which has at least 15 described species. At 17–22 cm (6.8-8.7 in) long, these are the largest-bodied of wrens, including the largest species, the giant wren. Member species are found in South ...

'', which can be quite bold in their behaviour. Wrens have short wings that are barred in most species, and they often hold their tails upright. Wrens are primarily insectivorous, eating insects, spiders and other small

invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

s, but many species also eat vegetable matter and some eat small frogs and lizards.

Etymology and usage

The English name "wren" derives from enm, wrenne and ang, wrænna, attested (as ) very early, in an eighth-century gloss. It is cognate to goh, wrendo, , and is, rindill (the latter two including an additional diminutive ''-ilan'' suffix). The Icelandic name is attested in Old Icelandic (

Edda "Edda" (; Old Norse ''Edda'', plural ''Eddur'') is an Old Norse term that has been attributed by modern scholars to the collective of two Medieval Icelandic literary works: what is now known as the ''Prose Edda'' and an older collection of poems ...

ic) as . This points to a

Common Germanic Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic br ...

name , but the further etymology of the name is unknown. The wren was also known as the ('kinglet') in

Old High German Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050. There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old High ...

, a name associated with the

fable Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse (poetry), verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphized, and that illustrat ...

of the election of the "king of birds". The bird that could fly to the highest altitude would be made king. The

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

outflew all other birds, but he was beaten by a small bird that had hidden in his plumage. This fable was already known to

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ph ...

(''

Historia Animalium ''History of Animals'' ( grc-gre, Τῶν περὶ τὰ ζῷα ἱστοριῶν, ''Ton peri ta zoia historion'', "Inquiries on Animals"; la, Historia Animalium, "History of Animals") is one of the major texts on biology by the ancient Gr ...

'' 9.11) and

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...

( ''Natural History'' 10.95), and was taken up by

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

authors such as

Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg Johann Geiler von Kaysersberg (16 March 1445 – 10 March 1510) was a priest, considered one of the greatest of the popular preachers of the 15th century. He was closely connected with the Renaissance humanists of Strasbourg, whose leader was ...

, but it most likely originally concerned

kinglet A kinglet is a small bird in the family Regulidae. Species in this family were formerly classified with the Old World warblers. "Regulidae" is derived from the Latin word ''regulus'' for "petty king" or prince, and refers to the coloured crowns ...

s (, such as the

goldcrest The goldcrest (''Regulus regulus'') is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers, as well as being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore, gives rise to its English and scientific ...

) and was apparently motivated by the yellow "crown" sported by these birds (a point noted already by

Ludwig Uhland Johann Ludwig Uhland (26 April 1787 – 13 November 1862) was a German poet, philologist and literary historian. Biography He was born in Tübingen, Württemberg, and studied jurisprudence at the university there, but also took an interest in ...

). The confusion stemmed in part from the similarity and consequent interchangeability of the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

words for the wren ( , 'king') and the crest ( , 'kinglet'), and the legend's reference to the "smallest of birds" becoming king likely led the title to be transferred to the equally tiny wren. In modern

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, the name of the bird is ('king of the fence (or hedge)') and in

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

, the name is ('king of winter'). The family name Troglodytidae is derived from troglodyte, which means 'cave-dweller'. Wrens get their scientific name from the tendency of some species to forage in dark crevices. The name "wren" is also ascribed to other families of passerine birds throughout the world. In Europe, kinglets are commonly known as "wrens", with the

common firecrest The common firecrest (''Regulus ignicapilla''), also known as the firecrest, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. It breeds in most of temperate Europe and northwestern Africa, and is partially migratory, with birds from central ...

and

known as the "fire-crested wren" and "golden-crested wren", respectively. The 27

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...

n "wren" species in the family

are unrelated, as are the

New Zealand wren The New Zealand wrens are a family (Acanthisittidae) of tiny passerines endemic to New Zealand. They were represented by seven Holocene species in four or five genera, although only two species in two genera survive today. They are understood to ...

s in the family Acanthisittidae, the

antbird The antbirds are a large passerine bird family, Thamnophilidae, found across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are more than 230 species, known variously as antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire ...

s in the family Thamnophilidae, and the

Old World babbler The Old World babblers or Timaliidae are a family of mostly Old World passerine birds. They are rather diverse in size and coloration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in S ...

s of the family Timaliidae.

Description

Wrens are medium-small to very small birds. The Eurasian wren is among the smallest birds in its range, while the smaller species from the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

are among the smallest

passerines A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by th ...

in that part of the world. They range in size from the

white-bellied wren The white-bellied wren (''Uropsila leucogastra'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The white-bellied wren is the only member of genus ''Uropsil ...

, which averages under and , to the

giant wren The giant wren (''Campylorhynchus chiapensis'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Mexico and Guatemala.Kroodsma, D. E. and D. Brewer (2020). Giant Wren (''Campylorhynchus chiapensis''), version 1.0. In Birds of t ...

, which averages about and weighs almost . The dominating colors of their plumage are generally drab, composed of gray, brown, black, and white, and most species show some barring, especially on the tail or wings. No

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...

is seen in the plumage of wrens, and little difference exists between young birds and adults. All have fairly long, straight to marginally decurved (downward-curving) bills. Wrens have loud and often complex songs, sometimes given in duet by a pair. The songs of members of the genera '' Cyphorhinus'' and ''

Microcerculus ''Microcerculus'' is a genus of birds in the wren family Troglodytidae that are endemic to Central America and tropical regions of South America. These are small wrens with very short tails, long legs and a long bill. They forage on or near th ...

'' have been considered especially pleasant to the human ear, leading to common names such as song wren, musician wren, flutist wren, and

southern nightingale-wren The southern nightingale-wren (''Microcerculus marginatus''), also known as the scaly-breasted wren, is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.C ...

Distribution and habitat

Wrens are principally a New World family, distributed from

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

to southern

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, with the greatest

species richness Species richness is the number of different species represented in an ecological community, landscape or region. Species richness is simply a count of species, and it does not take into account the abundances of the species or their relative ab ...

in the

Neotropics The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

. As suggested by its name, the

is the only species of wren found outside the Americas, as restricted to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa (it was formerly considered

conspecific Biological specificity is the tendency of a characteristic such as a behavior or a biochemical variation to occur in a particular species. Biochemist Linus Pauling stated that "Biological specificity is the set of characteristics of living organis ...

with the

winter wren The winter wren (''Troglodytes hiemalis'') is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with the Pacific wren (''Troglodytes pacificus'') of western North America and th ...

and Pacific wren of North America). The insular species include the

Clarión wren The Clarión wren (''Troglodytes tanneri'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Clarión Island off Pacific Mexico. It looks much like a house wren but is larger with a prominently longer bill, somewhat approachi ...

and

Socorro wren The Socorro wren (''Troglodytes sissonii'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Socorro Island, Mexico. It was formerly placed in ''Thryomanes'' but was moved to ''Troglodytes'' considering "manners, song, plumage, ...

from the

Revillagigedo Islands The Revillagigedo Islands ( es, Islas Revillagigedo, ) or Revillagigedo Archipelago are a group of four volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, known for their unique ecosystem. They lie approximately from Socorro Island south and southwest of C ...

in the Pacific Ocean, and

Cobb's wren Cobb's wren (''Troglodytes cobbi'') is a fairly small (12-13.5 cm) wren which is endemic to the Falkland Islands. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the house wren (''Troglodytes aedon'') but is now commonly considered to be a sep ...

in the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouze ...

, but few Caribbean islands have a species of wren, with only the southern house wren in the

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc bet ...

, the Cozumel wren of

Cozumel Island Cozumel (; yua, Kùutsmil) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by the Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucatá ...

, and the highly restricted

Zapata wren The Zapata wren (''Ferminia cerverai'') is a medium-sized grayish-brown bird that lives in dense shrubs of the Zapata Swamp, Cuba. It is the only member of the monotypical genus ''Ferminia'', which is endemic to Cuba and endangered. This specie ...

in a single swamp in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. The various species occur in a wide range of habitats, ranging from dry, sparsely wooded country to rainforests. Most species are mainly found at low levels, but members of the genus ''

'' are frequently found higher, and the two members of ''

Odontorchilus ''Odontorchilus'' is a small genus of South American birds in the family Troglodytidae. These small grey wrens are relatively long-tailed (giving them a superficially gnatcatcher-like appearance), and, uniquely in the family, they live in the c ...

'' are restricted to the

forest canopy In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant cropping or crop, formed by the collection of individual plant crowns. In forest ecology, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns an ...

. A few species, notably the Eurasian wren and the house wren, are often associated with humans. Most species are resident, remaining in Central and South America all year round, but the few species found in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere are partially migratory, spending the winter further south.

Behavior and ecology

Wrens vary from highly secretive species such as those found in the genus ''

'' to the highly conspicuous genus ''

'', the members of which frequently sing from exposed perches. The family as a whole exhibits a great deal of variation in their behavior. Temperate species generally occur in pairs, but some tropical species may occur in parties of up to 20 birds. Wrens build dome-shaped nests, and may be either monogamous or

polygamous Crimes Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is marrie ...

, depending on species. Though little is known about the feeding habits of many of the Neotropical species, wrens are considered primarily insectivorous, eating insects, spiders, and other small

arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and cuticle made of chiti ...

s. Many species also take vegetable matter such as seeds and berries, and some (primarily the larger species) take small frogs and lizards. The Eurasian wren has been recorded wading into shallow water to catch small fish and tadpoles;

Sumichrast's wren Sumichrast's wren (''Hylorchilus sumichrasti''), also known as the slender-billed wren, is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics Sumichrast's wren is monotypic. A former subspecies, ...

and the

take snails; and the

and

marsh wren The marsh wren (''Cistothorus palustris'') is a small North American songbird of the wren family. It is sometimes called the long-billed marsh wren to distinguish it from the sedge wren, also known as the short-billed marsh wren. Taxonomy The ma ...

have been recorded attacking and eating bird eggs (in the latter species, even eggs of conspecifics). A local

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

name for the giant wren and

bicolored wren The bicolored wren (''Campylorhynchus griseus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil. Taxonomy and systematics The bicolored wren has six subspecies: *''C. g. albicilius'' ...

is ('egg-sucker'), but whether the latter actually eats eggs is unclear. The plain wren and northern house wren sometimes destroy bird eggs, and the

rufous-and-white wren The rufous-and-white wren (''Thryophilus rufalbus'') is a small songbird of the wren family. It is a resident breeding species from southwesternmost Mexico to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Th ...

has been recorded killing nestlings, but this is apparently to eliminate potential food competitors rather than to feed on the eggs or nestlings. Several species of Neotropical wrens sometimes participate in mixed-species flocks or follow army ants, and the Eurasian wren may follow

badgers Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by the ...

to catch prey items disturbed by them.

Taxonomy and systematics

Revised following Martínez Gómez et al. (2005) and Mann et al. (2006), the taxonomy of some groups is highly complex, and future species-level splits are likely. Additionally, undescribed

taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

are known to exist. The

black-capped donacobius The black-capped donacobius (''Donacobius atricapilla'') is a conspicuous, vocal South American bird. It is found in tropical swamps and wetlands in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, ...

is an enigmatic species traditionally placed with the wrens more for lack of a more apparent alternative than as a result of thorough study. It was recently determined to be most likely closer to certain

warbler Various Passeriformes (perching birds) are commonly referred to as warblers. They are not necessarily closely related to one another, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal, and insectivorous. Sylvioid warblers Th ...

s, possibly the newly established

Megaluridae Locustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds (" warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler " wastebin" family. It contains the grass warblers, grassbirds, and the '' Bradypterus'' " bush warblers". These ...

, and might constitute a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

family. Family Troglodytidae Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus 20061226

*Genus ''

'' **

White-headed wren The white-headed wren (''Campylorhynchus albobrunneus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia and Panama. Taxonomy and systematics The white-headed wren has in the past been treated as conspecific with b ...

(''Campylorhynchus albobrunneus'') **

Band-backed wren The band-backed wren (''Campylorhynchus zonatus'') is a small songbird of the wren family. The band-backed wren is a resident breeding species from south-central Gulf Coast Mexico to northwestern Ecuador. It occurs in five disjunct areas, the c ...

(''Campylorhynchus zonatus'') ** Grey-barred wren (''Campylorhynchus megalopterus'') ** Stripe-backed wren (''Campylorhynchus nuchalis'') **

Fasciated wren The fasciated wren (''Campylorhynchus fasciatus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Taxonomy and systematics The fasciated wren has two subspecies, the nominate ''Campylorhynchus fasciatus fa ...

(''Campylorhynchus fasciatus'') **

Giant wren The giant wren (''Campylorhynchus chiapensis'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Mexico and Guatemala.Kroodsma, D. E. and D. Brewer (2020). Giant Wren (''Campylorhynchus chiapensis''), version 1.0. In Birds of t ...

(''Campylorhynchus chiapensis'') **

Bicolored wren The bicolored wren (''Campylorhynchus griseus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil. Taxonomy and systematics The bicolored wren has six subspecies: *''C. g. albicilius'' ...

(''Campylorhynchus griseus'') ** Veracruz wren (''Campylorhynchus rufinucha'') ** Sclater's wren (''Campylorhynchus humilis'') **

Rufous-backed wren The rufous-backed wren (''Campylorhynchus capistratus'') is a songbird of the family Troglodytidae. It is a resident breeding species from southwest Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica.Bradley, D. W. and D. J. Mennill (2020). Rufous-naped Wren ( ...

(''Campylorhynchus capistratus'') **

Spotted wren The spotted wren (''Campylorhynchus gularis'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The spotted wren has sometimes been considered conspecific with Boucard's wren (''Campylorhync ...

(''Campylorhynchus gularis'') ** Yucatan wren (''Campylorhynchus yucatanicus'') ** Boucard's wren (''Campylorhynchus jocosus'') **

Cactus wren The cactus wren (''Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus'') is a species of wren endemic to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern and central Mexico. It is the state bird of Arizona, and the largest wren in the United States. ...

(''Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus'') **

Thrush-like wren The thrush-like wren (''Campylorhynchus turdinus'') is a South American species of bird in the family Troglodytidae, the wrens. As suggested by its common and scientific name, its size and coloration are vaguely reminiscent of that of a thrush, ...

(''Campylorhynchus turdinus'') Odontorchilus branickii

*Genus ''

'' **

Grey-mantled wren The grey-mantled wren (''Odontorchilus branickii'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Taxonomy and systematics The grey-mantled wren shares its genus with one other species ...

(''Odontorchilus branickii'') **

Tooth-billed wren The tooth-billed wren (''Odontorchilus cinereus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Bolivia and Brazil.Schulenberg, T. S. (2020). Tooth-billed Wren (''Odontorchilus cinereus''), version 1.0. In Birds of the Worl ...

(''Odontorchilus cinereus'') RockWren-1JAN2018

*Genus '' Salpinctes'' ** Rock wren (''Salpinctes obsoletus'')

*Genus '' Catherpes'' **

Canyon wren The canyon wren (''Catherpes mexicanus'') is a small North American songbird of the wren family Troglodytidae. It is resident throughout its range and is generally found in arid, rocky cliffs, outcrops, and canyons. It is a small bird that is h ...

(''Catherpes mexicanus'') *Genus ''

Hylorchilus ''Hylorchilus'' is a genus of bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chamb ...

'' **

(''Hylorchilus sumichrasti'') **

Nava's wren Nava's wren (''Hylorchilus navai'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics Nava's wren was originally treated as a subspecies of ''Hylorchilus sumichrasti'', which at that time was ...

(''Hylorchilus navai'') *Genus ''

Cinnycerthia ''Cinnycerthia'' is a genus of bird in the wren family, Troglodytidae. It contains four species which inhabit the undergrowth of montane forests in the Andes.Ridgely, Robert S. and Guy Tudor (1994) ''The Birds of South America, volume 2: the Sub ...

'' **

Rufous wren The rufous wren (''Cinnycerthia unirufa'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. There are three subspecie ...

(''Cinnycerthia unirufa'') **

Sepia-brown wren The sepia-brown wren or Sharpe's wren (''Cinnycerthia olivascens'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, ...

(''Cinnycerthia olivascens'') **

Peruvian wren The Peruvian wren (''Cinnycerthia peruana'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic Peru. Taxonomy and systematics What is now the Peruvian wren was formerly called sepia-brown wren and at that time included as subsp ...

(''Cinnycerthia peruana'') **

Fulvous wren The fulvous wren (''Cinnycerthia fulva'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Bolivia and Peru. Taxonomy and systematics The fulvous wren was formerly considered a subspecies of ''Cinnycerthia peruana'', which ...

(''Cinnycerthia fulva'') *Genus ''

Cistothorus ''Cistothorus'' is a genus of small passerine birds in the family Troglodytidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Cistothorus'' was circumscribed by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1850. The type species is the sedge wren (''Cistothorus stellar ...

'' ** Sedge wren (''Cistothorus stellaris'') ** Mérida wren or paramo wren (''Cistothorus meridae'') ** Apolinar's wren (''Cistothorus apolinari'') ** Grass wren (''Cistothorus platensis'') **

Marsh wren The marsh wren (''Cistothorus palustris'') is a small North American songbird of the wren family. It is sometimes called the long-billed marsh wren to distinguish it from the sedge wren, also known as the short-billed marsh wren. Taxonomy The ma ...

(''Cistothorus palustris'') Thryomanes bewickii 14431

*Genus ''

Thryomanes The Bewick's wren (''Thryomanes bewickii'') is a wren native to North America. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Thryomanes''. At about long, it is grey-brown above, white below, with a long white eyebrow. While similar in appearanc ...

'' **

Bewick's wren The Bewick's wren (''Thryomanes bewickii'') is a wren native to North America. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Thryomanes''. At about long, it is grey-brown above, white below, with a long white eyebrow. While similar in appearan ...

(''Thryomanes bewickii'') *Genus '' Ferminia'' **

(''Ferminia cerverai'') Pheugopedius atrogularis 1902

Happy Wren - Oaxaca - Mexico S4E8421 (16982140919)

*Genus ''

Pheugopedius ''Pheugopedius'' is a genus of wrens in the family Troglodytidae whose species were formerly included in ''Thryothorus''. It contains the following species: * Black-throated wren (''Pheugopedius atrogularis'') * Rufous-breasted wren (''Pheu ...

'' (formerly included in ''Thryothorus'') **

Black-throated wren The black-throated wren (''Pheugopedius atrogularis'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. Taxonomy and systematics The black-throated wren was previously treated as conspecific ...

(''Pheugopedius atrogularis'') **

Sooty-headed wren The sooty-headed wren (''Pheugopedius spadix'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia and Panama. Taxonomy and systematics The sooty-headed wren was previously treated as conspecific with the black-throate ...

(''Pheugopedius spadix'') ** Black-bellied wren (''Pheugopedius fasciatoventris'') **

Plain-tailed wren The plain-tailed wren (''Pheugopedius euophrys'') is a species of songbird in the family Troglodytidae. It has a mostly rufous body with a gray, black, and white striped head. It is found in the Andes of southern Colombia, Ecuador, and northern P ...

(''Pheugopedius euophrys'') **

Inca wren The Inca wren (''Pheugopedius eisenmanni'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Peru. Taxonomy and systematics The Inca wren is monotypic. Curiously, this species was not detected by professionals until the 196 ...

(''Pheugopedius eisenmanni'') ** Moustached wren (''Pheugopedius genibarbis'') ** Whiskered wren (''Pheugopedius mystacalis'') ** Coraya wren (''Pheugopedius coraya'') **

Happy wren The happy wren (''Pheugopedius felix'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to the Pacific slope of western Mexico, from the state of Sonora to the state of Oaxaca, and also on islands west of the Mexican coast. As ...

(''Pheugopedius felix'') ** Spot-breasted wren (''Pheugopedius maculipectus'') ** Rufous-breasted wren (''Pheugopedius rutilus'') ** Speckle-breasted wren (''Pheugopedius sclateri'') *Genus '' Thryophilus'' (formerly included in ''Thryothorus'') ** Banded wren (''Thryophilus pleurostictus'') **

Rufous-and-white wren The rufous-and-white wren (''Thryophilus rufalbus'') is a small songbird of the wren family. It is a resident breeding species from southwesternmost Mexico to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Th ...

(''Thryophilus rufalbus'') **

Antioquia wren The Antioquia wren (''Thryophilus sernai'') is a passerine from the wren family (Troglodytidae). It was discovered in March 2010 in the vicinity of the Cauca River in Antioquia, Colombia and described as a new species by Lara ''et al'' (2012). Th ...

(''Thryophilus sernai'') **

Niceforo's wren Niceforo's wren (''Thryophilus nicefori'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Colombia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss. In Spanish th ...

(''Thryophilus nicefori'') **

Sinaloa wren The Sinaloa wren (''Thryophilus sinaloa'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico, with almost annual sightings in the United States, in Arizona.Soberanes-González, C. A., M. d. C. Arizmendi, and T. S. Schul ...

(''Thryophilus sinaloa'') Bay Wren

Cantorchilus longirostris -Registro, Sao Paulo, Brazil-8

*Genus ''

Cantorchilus ''Cantorchilus'' is a genus of birds in the wren family. Established by Nigel I. Mann, F. Keith Barker, Jeff A. Graves, Kimberly A. Dingess-Mann and Peter J. B. Slater in 2006, it contains 10 species. All of the species assigned to it were previ ...

'' (formerly included in ''Thryothorus'') ** Cabanis's wren (''Cantorchilus modestus'') ** Canebrake wren (''Cantorchilus zeledoni'') ** Isthmian wren (''Cantorchilus elutus'') ** Buff-breasted wren (''Cantorchilus leucotis'') (probably not monophyletic) ** Superciliated wren (''Cantorchilus superciliaris'') ** Fawn-breasted wren (''Cantorchilus guarayanus'') ** Long-billed wren (''Cantorchilus longirostris'') **

Grey wren The grey wren (''Cantorchilus griseus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to the southwestern part of Amazonas state in Brazil. This small, poorly known wren somewhat resembles a house wren, but its upperparts ar ...

(''Cantorchilus griseus'') ** Riverside wren (''Cantorchilus semibadius'') ** Bay wren (''Cantorchilus nigricapillus'') ** Stripe-breasted wren (''Cantorchilus thoracicus'') ** Stripe-throated wren (''Cantorchilus leucopogon'') *Genus '' Thryothorus'' **

Carolina wren The Carolina wren (''Thryothorus ludovicianus'') is a common species of wren that is a resident in the eastern half of the United States of America, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico. Severe winters restri ...

(''Thryothorus ludovicianus'') *** White-browed wren (''Thryothorus (ludovicianus) albinucha'') Troglodytes musculus Registro

Eurasian Wren Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary East Sikkim India 26

*Genus '' Troglodytes'' (10–15 species, depending on

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

; includes species sometimes considered to be in the genus ''Nannus'', which may be distinct) **

(''Troglodytes troglodytes'') **

Winter wren The winter wren (''Troglodytes hiemalis'') is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with the Pacific wren (''Troglodytes pacificus'') of western North America and th ...

(''Troglodytes hiemalis'') ** Pacific wren (''Troglodytes pacificus'') **

(''Troglodytes tanneri'') **

House wren The house wren (''Troglodytes aedon'') is a very small bird of the wren family, Troglodytidae. It occurs from Canada to southernmost South America, and is thus the most widely distributed native bird in the Americas. It occurs in most suburban ar ...

(''Troglodytes aedon'') **

(''Troglodytes cobbi'') **

(''Troglodytes sissonii'') **

Rufous-browed wren The rufous-browed wren (''Troglodytes rufociliatus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Central America from Mexico south into Nicaragua. Taxonomy and systematics The rufous-browed wren has been treated as con ...

(''Troglodytes rufociliatus'') **

Ochraceous wren The ochraceous wren (''Troglodytes ochraceus'') is a small songbird of the wren family. It is a resident breeding species in Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane ...

(''Troglodytes ochraceus'') ** Mountain wren (''Troglodytes solstitialis'') **

Santa Marta wren The Santa Marta wren (''Troglodytes monticola'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Colombia. Taxonomy and systematics The Santa Marta wren has often been treated a subspecies of mountain wren (''Troglodytes ...

(''Troglodytes monticola'') ** Tepui wren (''Troglodytes rufulus'') *Genus '' Thryorchilus'' **

Timberline wren The timberline wren (''Thryorchilus browni'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Costa Rica and western Panama. Taxonomy and systematics The timberline wren is the only member of genus ''Thryorchilus'', but its ...

(''Thryorchilus browni'') *Genus ''

Uropsila The white-bellied wren (''Uropsila leucogastra'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The white-bellied wren is the only member of genus ''Urops ...

'' **

White-bellied wren The white-bellied wren (''Uropsila leucogastra'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The white-bellied wren is the only member of genus ''Uropsil ...

(''Uropsila leucogastra'') *Genus ''

Henicorhina ''Henicorhina'' is the wood wren genus; these are birds in the family Troglodytidae. It contains the following species: * Bar-winged wood wren, ''Henicorhina leucoptera'' * Grey-breasted wood wren, ''Henicorhina leucophrys'' * Hermit wood w ...

'' (wood wrens) ** White-breasted wood wren (''Henicorhina leucosticta'') ** Grey-breasted wood wren (''Henicorhina leucophrys'') **

Hermit wood wren The hermit wood wren or Santa Marta wood wren (''Henicorhina anachoreta'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of northern Colombia. Taxonomy and systematics The hermit wood wre ...

(''Henicorhina anachoreta'') – split from ''H. leucophrys'' ** Bar-winged wood wren (''Henicorhina leucoptera'') ** Munchique wood wren (''Henicorhina negreti'') *Genus ''

'' ** Northern nightingale-wren (''Microcerculus philomela'') **

Southern nightingale-wren The southern nightingale-wren (''Microcerculus marginatus''), also known as the scaly-breasted wren, is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.C ...

(''Microcerculus marginatus'') ** Flutist wren (''Microcerculus ustulatus'') **

Wing-banded wren The wing-banded wren (''Microcerculus bambla'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics The wing-banded wren was describ ...

(''Microcerculus bambla'') *Genus '' Cyphorhinus'' ** Chestnut-breasted wren (''Cyphorhinus thoracicus'') ** Musician wren (''Cyphorhinus arada'') ** Song wren (''Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus'')

Relationship with humans

The wren features prominently in culture. The Eurasian wren has been long considered "the king of birds" in Europe. Killing one or harassing its nest is associated with bad luck, such as broken bones, lightning strikes on homes, or injury to cattle.

Wren Day Wren Day, also known as Wren's Day, Day of the Wren, or Hunt the Wren Day ( ga, Lá an Dreoilín), is an Irish celebration held on 26 December, St. Stephen's Day in a number of countries across Europe. The tradition consists of "hunting" a wren ...

, celebrated in parts of Ireland on St. Stephen's Day (26 December), features a fake wren being paraded around town on a decorative pole; up to the 20th century, real birds were hunted for this purpose. A possible origin for the tradition is revenge for the betrayal of

Saint Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...

by a noisy wren when he was trying to hide from enemies in a bush. The

(''Thryothorus ludovicianus'') has been the state bird of

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

since 1948, and features on the back of its state quarter. The British

farthing Farthing or farthings may refer to: Coinage *Farthing (British coin), an old British coin valued one quarter of a penny ** Half farthing (British coin) ** Third farthing (British coin) ** Quarter farthing (British coin) * Farthing (English ...

featured a wren on the reverse side from 1937 until its demonetisation in 1960. The

(''Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus'') was designated the state bird of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

in 1931. File:2000 SC Proof.png, alt=South Carolina state quarter File:British farthing 1951 reverse.png, alt=British farthing

References

* * nglish with Spanish abstract

External links

Videos, photos and sounds
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