The Shetland wren (''Troglodytes troglodytes zetlandicus'') is a small

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 t ...

bird in the

wren Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera. Only the Eurasian wren occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is commonly ...

family. It is a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the Eurasian wren

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the

Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, with the exception of Fair Isle which has its own endemic subspecies, the

Fair Isle wren The Fair Isle wren (''Troglodytes troglodytes fridariensis'') is a small passerine bird in the wren family. It is a subspecies of the Eurasian wren endemic to Fair Isle, Shetland, Scotland, an island about halfway between mainland Shetland and ...

. The Shetland wren is distinguished by its darker and more rufous-brown colouring from the mainland form, with a heavily barred underside, the barring extending from belly to breast. The

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

is stouter and longer and it has stronger legs.McGowan, R.Y.; Clugston, D.L.; & Forrester, R.W. (2003). Scotland's endemic subspecies. ''Scottish Birds'' 24: 18–35.

Description

Adult birds are about and the sexes are similar in this species. As compared to the Eurasian wren (''Troglodytes troglodytes''), it is much darker in colouration, especially the crown and nape which are nearly black. The barring on the upper parts is blacker and the markings on the lores and ear coverts are darker brown. The throat and breast are brownish-buff rather than white and the dark speckling on the belly extends further up the flanks and breast. The beak is dark brown and the sturdy legs are mid-brown. The song is rather louder and more varied than the Eurasian wren, perhaps to make it more audible on the boulder beaches where it mainly breeds.

Distribution and habitat

This wren is

to the Shetland Islands. It is found on and near cliffs and rocky shores, around crofts and walls. The main breeding

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

of Shetland wrens is boulder beaches, though when population levels increase some birds will nest further inland, in bushes or beside streams.

Status

An estimate of the population, dating back to the start of the 21st century, was of 1500–3000 breeding pairs.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7495667

Shetland wren The Shetland wren (''Troglodytes troglodytes zetlandicus'') is a small passerine bird in the wren family. It is a subspecies of the Eurasian wren endemic to the Shetland archipelago of Scotland, with the exception of Fair Isle which has its own ...

Birds of Europe Biota of Shetland Endemic fauna of Scotland 1910 in Scotland Endemic biota of the Scottish islands