Wrens are a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

, Troglodytidae, of small 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 generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

birds. The family includes 96

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

and is divided into 19

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

. All species are restricted to the

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

except for 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 as ...

that is widely distributed in the

Old World The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...

. In Anglophone regions, the Eurasian wren 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 A ...

'', 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 A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant which eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores we ...

, eating insects, spiders and other small

invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...

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

Etymology and usage

The English name "wren" derives from and , attested (as ) very early, in an eighth-century gloss. It is

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...

to , , and (the latter two including an additional diminutive ''-ilan'' suffix). The Icelandic name is attested in

Old Icelandic Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their ...

(

Edda "Edda" (; Old Norse ''Edda'', plural ''Eddur'') is an Old Norse term that has been applied 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 bra ...

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; ) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally identified as the period from around 500/750 to 1050. Rather than representing a single supra-regional form of German, Old High German encompasses the numerous ...

, a name associated with the

fable Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a parti ...

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 the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

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 (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

(''

Historia Animalium ''History of Animals'' (, ''Ton peri ta zoia historion'', "Inquiries on Animals"; , "History of Animals") is one of the major texts on biology by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. It was written in sometime between the mid-fourth centur ...

'' 9.11) and Pliny ( ''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 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

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 wa ...

, 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), crest feathers, as well as being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore, gives rise to its Englis ...

) 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, literary historian, lawyer and politician. Biography He was born in Tübingen, Württemberg, and studied jurisprudence at the university there, b ...

). 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 classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

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, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

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

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

, 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 occasionally 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 Temperateness, temperate Europe and northwestern Africa, and is partially bird migration, migr ...

and

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

Australasia Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...

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 (biology), 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 g ...

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, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

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 generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

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, which averages about and weighs almost . The dominating colors of their

plumage Plumage () is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, there can b ...

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 sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...

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 A duet (italian language, Italian: ''duo'') is a musical composition for two Performing arts, performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a har ...

by a pair. The songs of members of the genera ''

Cyphorhinus ''Cyphorhinus'' is a genus of passerine birds in the wren family Troglodytidae that are found in South and Central America. Taxonomy The genus ''Cyphorhinus'' was introduced in 1844 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis to accommodate a sin ...

'' 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 The song wren (''Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region ...

musician wren The musician wren or organ wren (''Cyphorhinus arada'') is a species of wren named for its elaborate song. It is native to the Amazon rainforest in South America, from the lowlands into the foothills of the Andes. Taxonomy and systematics At o ...

flutist wren The flutist wren (''Microcerculus ustulatus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is restricted to humid highland forest in the Tepui region of northern Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics The flutist wr ...

, 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.Cl ...

Distribution and habitat

Wrens are principally a New World family, distributed from

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

to southern

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, with the greatest

species richness Species richness is the number of different species represented in an community (ecology), ecological community, landscape or region. Species richness is simply a count of species, and it does not take into account the Abundance (ecology), abunda ...

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 biogeog ...

. 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 organism ...

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. The species contained the congeneric Pacific wren (''Troglodytes pacificus'') of western North Ameri ...

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 approachin ...

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 (, ) 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 Cabo San Lucas, the sout ...

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 southern house wren but is now commonly considered to be a separate species d ...

in the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, 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 from Cape Dub ...

, but few

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

islands have a species of wren, with only the

southern house wren The southern house wren (''Troglodytes musculus'') is a very small passerine bird in the wren family Troglodytidae. It is found from southern Mexico to southern Chile and southern Argentina. The name ''troglodytes'' means "hole dweller", and is ...

in the

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of the West Indies in Caribbean, Caribbean region of the Americas. They are distinguished from the larger islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc w ...

, the

Cozumel wren The Cozumel wren (''Troglodytes beani'') is a very small passerine bird in the wren family Troglodytidae that is endemic to the small island of Cozumel off the eastern coast of Mexico. The name ''troglodytes'' means "hole dweller", and is a refe ...

Cozumel Island Cozumel (; ) 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 Yucatán Channel. The ...

, 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 species ...

in a single swamp in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. 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 ca ...

'' 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, the canopy is the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and includ ...

. 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 The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined by humans as being in the same celestial sphere, celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the Solar ...

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 Monogamy ( ) is a relationship of two individuals in which they form a mutual and exclusive intimate partnership. Having only one partner at any one time, whether for life or serial monogamy, contrasts with various forms of non-monogamy (e.g. ...

polygamous 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, it is called polygyny. When a woman is married to more than one h ...

, depending on species. Though little is known about the feeding habits of many of the Neotropical species, wrens are considered primarily

, eating insects, spiders, and other small

arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

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 giant wren and

marsh wren The marsh wren (''Cistothorus palustris'') is a small North American songbird of the wren Family (biology), family. It was formerly called the long-billed marsh wren to distinguish it from the sedge wren, then known as the short-billed marsh wren ...

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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

name for the giant wren and bicolored wren is ('egg-sucker'), but whether the latter actually eats eggs is unclear. The

plain wren Plain wren has been split into the following species: * Cabanis's wren, ''Cantorchilus modestus'' * Canebrake wren, ''Cantorchilus zeledoni'' * Isthmian wren, ''Cantorchilus elutus'' {{Animal common name Birds by common name ...

and

northern house wren The northern house wren (''Troglodytes aedon'') is a very small passerine in the wren family Troglodytidae. It is found in southern Canada, the USA and Mexico. It occurs in most suburban areas in its range. It formerly included many subspecies r ...

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 flock A mixed-species feeding flock, also termed a mixed-species foraging flock, mixed hunting party or informally bird wave, is a flock of usually insectivorous birds of different species that join each other and move together while foraging. These are ...

s or follow army ants, and the Eurasian wren may follow

badgers Badgers are medium-sized short-legged omnivores in the superfamily Musteloidea. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity rather than by their ...

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''; : 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 name and ...

are known to exist. The

black-capped donacobius The black-capped donacobius (''Donacobius atricapilla'') is a conspicuous, vocal South American bird. It is distributed across the northern half of South America. Taxonomy In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a descrip ...

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 T ...

s, possibly the newly established

Megaluridae Locustellidae is a recently recognised family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family. It contains the grasshopper warblers, grassbirds, and the '' Bradypterus'' "bush warblers". T ...

, 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 "unisp ...

family. The genus level

cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ...

of the Troglodytidae shown below is based on a

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study by Tyler Imfeld and collaborators that was published in 2024. The number of species in each genus is based on the list maintained by Frank Gill,

Pamela C. Rasmussen Pamela Cecile Rasmussen (born October 16, 1959) is an American ornithologist and expert on Asian birds. She was formerly a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and is based at the Michigan State University. She ...

and David Donsker on behalf of the

International Ornithological Committee The International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) is an international organization for the promotion of ornithology. It links basic and applied research and nurtures education and outreach activities. Specifically, the IOU organizes and funds global co ...

(IOC). Family Troglodytidae Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus 20061226

*Genus ''

'' ** White-headed wren (''Campylorhynchus albobrunneus'') ** Band-backed wren (''Campylorhynchus zonatus'') ** Grey-barred wren (''Campylorhynchus megalopterus'') ** Stripe-backed wren (''Campylorhynchus nuchalis'') ** Fasciated wren (''Campylorhynchus fasciatus'') ** Giant wren (''Campylorhynchus chiapensis'') ** Bicolored wren (''Campylorhynchus griseus'') ** Veracruz wren (''Campylorhynchus rufinucha'') **

Russet-naped wren The russet-naped wren (''Campylorhynchus humilis''), also known as Sclater's wren, is a songbird of the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics What is now the russet-naped wren was previously treated as one ...

(''Campylorhynchus humilis'') ** Rufous-backed 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 The Yucatan wren (''Campylorhynchus yucatanicus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, only found on the narrow coastal strip of the northern Yu ...

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

Cactus wren The cactus wren (''Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus'') is a species of wren that is 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 St ...

(''Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus'') ** Thrush-like wren (''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 The rock wren (''Salpinctes obsoletus'') is a small songbird of the wren family native to western North America, Mexico and Central America. It is the only species in the genus ''Salpinctes''. Description Measurements: * Length: 4.9-5.9 in ...

'' **

Rock wren The rock wren (''Salpinctes obsoletus'') is a small songbird of the wren family native to western North America, Mexico and Central America. It is the only species in the genus ''Salpinctes''. Description Measurements: * Length: 4.9-5.9 ...

(''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 (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a ...

'' **

(''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 Subo ...

'' **

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 subspecies ...

(''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 to Peru. Taxonomy and systematics What is now the Peruvian wren was formerly called sepia-brown wren and at that time included as su ...

(''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 at ...

(''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 stellari ...

'' **

Sedge wren The sedge wren (''Cistothorus stellaris'') is a small and secretive passerine bird in the family Wren, Troglodytidae. It is widely distributed in North America. It is often found in wet grasslands and meadows where it nests in the tall grasses an ...

(''Cistothorus stellaris'') **

Mérida wren The Mérida wren (''Cistothorus meridae''), or paramo wren, is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics The Mérida wren is monotypic. Apolinar's wren (''C. apolinari''), grass wren ...

or paramo wren (''Cistothorus meridae'') **

Apolinar's wren Apolinar's wren (''Cistothorus apolinari'') is a passerine bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Colombia. Taxonomy and systematics Apolinar's wren has two subspecies, the nominate ''Cistothorus apolinari apolinari'' and ''C. a. ...

(''Cistothorus apolinari'') **

Grass wren The grass wren (''Cistothorus platensis'') is a species of passerine bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is widely distributed in central and southern America. Taxonomy and systematics The grass wren was described in 1790 by the English o ...

(''Cistothorus platensis'') **

Marsh wren The marsh wren (''Cistothorus palustris'') is a small North American songbird of the wren Family (biology), family. It was formerly called the long-billed marsh wren to distinguish it from the sedge wren, then known as the short-billed marsh wren ...

(''Cistothorus palustris'') Thryomanes bewickii 14431

*Genus '' Thryomanes'' **

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 appearance ...

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

(''Ferminia cerverai'') Pheugopedius atrogularis 1902

*Genus ''

Pheugopedius ''Pheugopedius'' is a genus of wrens in the family Troglodytidae that are found in Central and South America. Taxonomy The genus ''Pheugopedius'' was introduced in 1851 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis to accommodate a single species, ' ...

'' (formerly included in ''Thryothorus'') ** Black-throated wren (''Pheugopedius atrogularis'') ** Sooty-headed wren (''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 ...

(''Pheugopedius euophrys'') **

Grey-browed wren The grey-browed wren (''Pheugopedius schulenbergi'') is a small passerine bird in the wren family Troglodytidae. It is found in northern Peru north of the Río Marañón. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the plain-tailed wren. ...

(''Pheugopedius schulenbergi'') **

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 1960 ...

(''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 Endemism, endemic to the Pacific slope of western Mexico, from the state of Sonora (state), Sonora to the state of Oaxaca (state), Oaxaca, and also o ...

(''Pheugopedius felix'') ** Spot-breasted wren (''Pheugopedius maculipectus'') ** Rufous-breasted wren (''Pheugopedius rutilus'') ** Speckle-breasted wren (''Pheugopedius sclateri'') *Genus ''

Thryophilus ''Thryophilus'' is a genus of wrens in the Troglodytidae (wren) family. It contains five species, which were previously classified in ''Thryothorus''. Species The following species are currently recognized by the International Ornithological Con ...

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

Banded wren The banded wren (''Thryophilus pleurostictus'') is a small songbird of the wren family. It is a resident breeding species from central Mexico to Costa Rica. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Thryothorus'' (Mann et al., 2006). This wren bree ...

(''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 Department, Antioquia, Colombia and described as a new species by Lara ...

(''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

*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 12 species. All of the species assigned to it were previ ...

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

Cabanis's wren Cabanis's wren (''Cantorchilus modestus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Taxonomy and systematics Cabanis's wren, with what are n ...

(''Cantorchilus modestus'') **

Canebrake wren The canebrake wren (''Cantorchilus zeledoni'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. Taxonomy and systematics The canebrake wren, with what are now Cabanis's wren (''C. modestus'' ...

(''Cantorchilus zeledoni'') **

Isthmian wren The isthmian wren (''Cantorchilus elutus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. Taxonomy and systematics The isthmian wren, with what are now Cabanis's wren (''C. modestus'') and the canebr ...

(''Cantorchilus elutus'') ** Buff-breasted wren (''Cantorchilus leucotis'') (probably not

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

) ** Superciliated wren (''Cantorchilus superciliaris'') ** Fawn-breasted wren (''Cantorchilus guarayanus'') **

Long-billed wren The long-billed wren (''Cantorchilus longirostris'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Brazil. Taxonomy and systematics The long-billed wren has been treated as being conspecific with the buff-breasted wren ( ...

(''Cantorchilus longirostris'') ** Grey wren (''Cantorchilus griseus'') ** Riverside wren (''Cantorchilus semibadius'') ** Bay wren (''Cantorchilus nigricapillus'') **

Stripe-breasted wren The stripe-breasted wren (''Cantorchilus thoracicus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.roodsma, D. E. and D. Brewer (2020). Stripe-breasted Wren (''Cantorchilus thora ...

(''Cantorchilus thoracicus'') ** Stripe-throated wren (''Cantorchilus leucopogon'') *Genus ''

Thryothorus The Carolina wren (''Thryothorus ludovicianus'') is a common species of wren that is a resident in the Eastern United States, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico. Severe winters restrict the northern limits ...

'' **

Carolina wren The Carolina wren (''Thryothorus ludovicianus'') is a common species of wren that is a resident in the Eastern United States, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico. Severe winters restrict the northern limits ...

(''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 image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme o ...

; 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. The species contained the congeneric Pacific wren (''Troglodytes pacificus'') of western North Ameri ...

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

(''Troglodytes tanneri'') **

House wren The house wren complex has been split into eight species: * Northern house wren, ''Troglodytes aedon'' * Southern house wren, ''Troglodytes musculus'' * Cozumel wren, ''Troglodytes beani'' * Kalinago wren, ''Troglodytes martinicensis'' * St. Lucia w ...

(''Troglodytes aedon'') **

(''Troglodytes cobbi'') **

(''Troglodytes sissonii'') ** Rufous-browed wren (''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 The mountain wren (''Troglodytes solstitialis'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in the Andes of northwestern Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and western Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics The moun ...

(''Troglodytes solstitialis'') ** Santa Marta wren (''Troglodytes monticola'') **

Tepui wren The tepui wren (''Troglodytes rufulus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela, where it inhabits high tablelands called tepuis.Kroodsma, D. E., D. Brewer, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Tepui ...

(''Troglodytes rufulus'') *Genus ''

Thryorchilus 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 t ...

'' **

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 ''Uropsil ...

'' **

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 Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship) ...

'' (wood wrens) **

White-breasted wood wren The white-breasted wood wren (''Henicorhina leucosticta'') is a small songbird of the wren family. It is a resident breeding species from central Mexico to northeastern Peru and Suriname. Description The adult white-breasted wood wren is long a ...

(''Henicorhina leucosticta'') **

Grey-breasted wood wren The grey-breasted wood wren (''Henicorhina leucophrys'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found from Mexico to Bolivia. Taxonomy and systematics The grey-breasted wood-wren's taxonomy at the subspecies level is unsettl ...

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

Munchique wood wren The Munchique wood wren (''Henicorhina negreti'') is a member of the wren family ( Troglodytidae) that was described as new to science in 2003. It is found in the Western Andes of Colombia. Taxonomy and systematics The Munchique wood wren wa ...

(''Henicorhina negreti'') *Genus ''

'' **

Northern nightingale-wren The northern nightingale-wren (''Microcerculus philomela''), or nightingale wren, is a species of passerine bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.Clements, J. F., T. S. ...

(''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.Cl ...

(''Microcerculus marginatus'') **

Flutist wren The flutist wren (''Microcerculus ustulatus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is restricted to humid highland forest in the Tepui region of northern Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics The flutist wr ...

(''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 describe ...

(''Microcerculus bambla'') *Genus ''

'' ** Chestnut-breasted wren (''Cyphorhinus thoracicus'') **

Musician wren The musician wren or organ wren (''Cyphorhinus arada'') is a species of wren named for its elaborate song. It is native to the Amazon rainforest in South America, from the lowlands into the foothills of the Andes. Taxonomy and systematics At o ...

(''Cyphorhinus arada'') **

Song wren The song wren (''Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region ...

(''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 (), or Hunt the Wren Day (), is an Irish and Manx custom on 26 December, Saint Stephen's Day (known in most of Ulster as Boxing Day). Traditionally, men and boys hunted a wren, which was revered as the 'king of the birds'. They displa ...

, celebrated in parts of Ireland on

Saint Stephen's Day Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Ch ...

(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 (; ) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity."St ...

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 South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

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 c ...

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 is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

in 1931. The

Women's Royal Naval Service The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS; popularly and officially known as the Wrens) was the women's branch of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. First formed in 1917 for the World War I, First World War, it was disbanded in 1919, then revived in ...

(WRNS) were nicknamed Wrens based on the acronym WRNS. After the Women's Royal Navy Service was integrated into the Royal Navy in 1993, the title of Wren was dropped from official usage, however unofficially female sailors are still referred to as Wrens. 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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