''Troglodytes'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of 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 ...

birds 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. These wrens are around long. They are brownish above and somewhat paler below, with strong legs. Their short rounded wings and frequently cocked tail have a dark barred pattern. The flight is direct and buzzing. ''Troglodytes'' wrens are mostly found in somewhat cooler habitats than most of their relatives. Most of the species are found in the mountains from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

to northern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. Five species are found in temperate latitudes: The

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 ...

occurs widely in both tropical and temperate lowlands, but is frequently split into several species. Until recently, the hardy

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 ...

was believed to have a wide distribution in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

and

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

, but it has recently been split into three species, of which 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 ...

is the only wren of any genus found outside the

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. 3 ...

. The

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 ...

of 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 Dubouzet ...

is another species which tolerates harsh conditions well. Like other wrens, they are elusive as they hunt for small

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s and

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

s, but they readily reveal their positions through their loud songs. These are territorial birds, but the tiny winter wren will roost communally in a cavity in cold weather to help conserve heat.

Systematics and species

The genus ''Troglodytes'' was introduced by the French ornithologist

Louis Pierre Vieillot Louis Pierre Vieillot (10 May 1748, Yvetot – 24 August 1830, Sotteville-lès-Rouen) was a French ornithologist. Vieillot is the author of the first scientific descriptions and Linnaean names of a number of birds, including species he collect ...

in 1809. The

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

was subsequently designated as the

(''Troglodytes aedon''). The closest living relatives of this genus are possibly the

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 ...

and the ''

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 ...

'' species, rather than the ''

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 as is sometimes proposed. A number of the ''Troglodytes'' species, such as 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 ...

, were formerly considered subspecies of the house wren, and it has been argued that at least the tropical forms of the house wren should be further split as the southern house wren, ''Troglodytes musculus''. The

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, ...

, in older times placed into ''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 appearan ...

), is actually a close relative of the house wren complex, as indicated by "manners, song, plumage, etc." and by

biogeography Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, ...

and

mtDNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA ...

NADH dehydrogenase NADH dehydrogenase is an enzyme that converts nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) from its reduced form (NADH) to its oxidized form (NAD+). Members of the NADH dehydrogenase family and analogues are commonly systematically named using the for ...

subunit 2

sequence In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is calle ...

analysis. The

is less closely related to the other members of the genus, and is occasionally split as the

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 "unispec ...

genus ''Nannus''. It might actually be closely related to ''Cistothorus'', but again, the molecular data is insufficient to properly resolve this issue. Even with the help of the most recent molecular data, the relationships of the species could not be fully resolved, however. There appear to be two

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

s, one comprising the house wren group and another containing Central and South American species. The relationships of the rufous-browed and

brown-throated wren The brown-throated wren (''Troglodytes aedon brunneicollis'') is a mostly Mexican bird in the wren family, often considered a subspecies of the house wren. Range and habitat This subspecies is fairly common in some areas, in oak and pine-oak wo ...

s are indeterminable with the present molecular data; they appear fairly basal and the former might be closer to the house wren group than the latter. The

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 ...

is quite enigmatic and little-studied.

Species

Troglodytes musculus Esteros del Iberá 2

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'' – taxonomy needs revision ** Northern house wren, ''Troglodytes (aedon) aedon'' group **

Brown-throated wren The brown-throated wren (''Troglodytes aedon brunneicollis'') is a mostly Mexican bird in the wren family, often considered a subspecies of the house wren. Range and habitat This subspecies is fairly common in some areas, in oak and pine-oak wo ...

, ''Troglodytes (aedon) brunneicollis'' group ** Southern house wren, ''Troglodytes (aedon) musculus'' group ** Cozumel wren, ''Troglodytes (aedon) beani'' ** Guadeloupe house wren, ''Troglodytes aedon guadeloupensis'' – taxonomic status unresolved; possibly

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

(late 20th century) ** Martinique house wren, ''Troglodytes aedon martinicensis'' – taxonomic status unresolved; possibly

(c. 1890) *

, ''Troglodytes tanneri'' – formerly included in ''T. aedon'' *

, ''Troglodytes sissonii'' – formerly included in ''T. aedon'' *

, ''Troglodytes cobbi'' – formerly included in ''T. aedon'' *

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'' * Tepui wren, ''Troglodytes rufulus'' * Mountain wren, ''Troglodytes solstitialis'' *

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'' *

, ''Troglodytes monticola'' *

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'' ** Kiska wren, ''Troglodytes pacificus kiskensis'' ** Aleutian wren, ''Troglodytes pacificus meligerus'' ** ''Troglodytes pacificus ochroleucus'' ** Tanaga wren, ''Troglodytes pacificus tanagensis'' ** Seguam wren, ''Troglodytes pacificus seguamensis'' ** Stevenson's wren, ''Troglodytes pacificus stevensoni'' ** Unalaska wren, ''Troglodytes pacificus petrophilus'' ** Semidi wren, ''Troglodytes pacificus semidiensis'' ** Alaskan wren, ''Troglodytes pacificus alascensis'' ** ''Troglodytes pacificus muiri'' ** ''Troglodytes pacificus obscurior'' ** ''Troglodytes pacificus salebrosus'' ** Kodiak wren, ''Troglodytes pacificus helleri'' *

, ''Troglodytes troglodytes'' ** Northern wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes troglodytes'' ** Icelandic wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes islandicus'' ** Corsican wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes koenigi'' ** British wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes indigenus'' **

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 an ...

, ''Troglodytes troglodytes fridariensis'' ** St. Kilda wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes hirtensis'' ** Hebrides wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes hebridensis'' **

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 ...

, ''Troglodytes troglodytes zetlandicus'' ** Faeroe wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes borealis'' ** West Mediterranean wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes kabylorum'' ** Libyan wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes juniperi'' ** East Mediterranean wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes cypriotes'' ** Caucasian wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes hyrcanus'' ** Daito wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes orii'' – validity doubtful;

(c. 1940) ** '' Troglodytes troglodytes dauricus'' ** ''Troglodytes troglodytes idius'' ** Kuril Islands wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes kurilensis'' ** Magrath's wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes magrathi'' ** ''Troglodytes troglodytes mosukei'' ** Caucasian wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes neglectus'' ** ''Troglodytes troglodytes szetschuanus'' ** ''Troglodytes troglodytes talifuensis'' ** Sooty wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes fumigatus'' ** Nepal wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes nipalensis'' ** ''Troglodytes troglodytes pallescens'' ** ''Troglodytes troglodytes zagrossiensis'' ** Tian Shan wren, ''Troglodytes troglodytes tianschanicus'' ** ''Troglodytes troglodytes ogawae'' ** ''Troglodytes troglodytes taivanus'' ** ''Troglodytes troglodytes subpallidus''

References

External links

* Wren videos, photos and facts at Arkive.or

{{Authority control Troglodytes (bird), Bird genera Wrens Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot

Systematics and species

Species

References

Further reading

External links