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 (''Campylorhynchus jocosus'') but molecular data show that they are not closely related. The species is
monotypic.
[Kroodsma, D. E., D. Brewer, and E. de Juana (2020). Spotted Wren (''Campylorhynchus gularis''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.spowre1.01 retrieved May 31, 2021]
Description
The spotted wren is long and weighs . Adults of both sexes have a chestnut crown and rufescent brown shoulders and back with dull black and buffy markings. The tail is gray-brown with darker bars. They have a white
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 ...
and a brown eyestripe above buffy white cheeks. Their chin, throat, and chest are off-white and the sides of the chest have blackish spots. The belly and lower flanks are buffy with faint barring. The juvenile's crown is dull black, the markings on the back are fainter than the adults', and the chest is pale buff without the adults' spots.
[
]
Distribution and habitat
The spotted wren is found in two areas of Mexico separated by unsuitable habitat. In the west it ranges from southeastern Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
south to western México state and western Morelos
Morelos (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 36 municipalities and its capital city is Cuer ...
. East of that band it ranges from southern Nuevo León
Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...
, southwestern Tamaulipas, and central San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...
south to Hidalgo. It occurs in several habitat types, from dry oak and pine-oak woodlands to stands of shrubs and cactus to rocky slopes with palms. In elevation it is generally found between but ranges up to in Colima.[
]
Behavior
Feeding
The spotted wren actively forages in small groups, usually on or near the ground but as high as . It probes bark crevices, epiphyte
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
s, and among rocks for invertebrates. It also eats vegetable matter like cactus seeds and has been seen to prey on small lizards.[
]
Breeding
The spotted wren's breeding phenology
Phenology is the study of periodic events in biological life cycles and how these are influenced by seasonality, seasonal and interannual variations in climate, as well as environmental factor, habitat factors (such as elevation).
Examples includ ...
is virtually unknown. It builds a domed nest with side entrance like others of its genus. The clutch size appears to be two to four.[
]
Vocalization
The spotted wren's song has been described as "a series of harsh churring notes" and "a series of unmusical gurgling phrases
Its call is "a gruff 'cheh-cheh-cheht'
[
]
Status
The IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
has assessed the spotted wren as being of Least Concern.[ "Abundance varies; quite sparse and uncommon in some areas, and very common in suitable habitat in others."][
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q788839
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 (''Campylor ...
Birds of Mexico
Endemic birds of Mexico
Birds of the Sierra Madre Occidental
Birds of the Sierra Madre Oriental
Birds of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
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 (''Campylor ...
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 (''Campylor ...
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot