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 t ...
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. 3 ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
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
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
. 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 ...
occurs in the
Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
, 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 (biology), family, Maluridae, of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. While commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the wren, true wrens. The family comprises 32 spec ...
).
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
A robber fly eating a hoverfly
An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects.
The first vertebrate insectivores were ...
, 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
In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymology, etymological ancestor in a proto-language, common parent language. Because language c ...
to goh, wrendo, , and is, rindill (the latter two including an additional diminutive ''-ilan'' suffix). The Icelandic name is attested in
Old Icelandic
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is 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 overseas settlement ...
(
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 poem ...
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 branc ...
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, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular mo ...
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, just ...
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 phil ...
(''
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, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
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 na ...
) 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 i ...
).
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 peri ...
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
**Ger ...
, 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
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 na ...
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 ecologica ...
n "wren" species in the family
Maluridae
The Australasian wrens are a family (biology), family, Maluridae, of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. While commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the wren, true wrens. The family comprises 32 spec ...
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 (biology), family, Thamnophilidae, found across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are List of antbirds, more than 230 species, known variously as an ...
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 th ...
, which averages about and weighs almost . The dominating colors of their
plumage
Plumage ( "feather") 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, ...
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 ani ...
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 is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...
by a pair. The songs of members of the genera ''
Cyphorhinus
''Cyphorhinus'' is a genus of birds in the family Troglodytidae. Established by Jean Cabanis in 1844, it contains the following species:
* Song wren (''Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus'')
* Chestnut-breasted wren (''Cyphorhinus thoracicus'')
* Musici ...
'' 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, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Taxonomy and systematics
At one time the song wren and the mus ...
,
musician wren,
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
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bo ...
, 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
![Cobb's Wren](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Cobb%27s_Wren.png)
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 a ...
in the
Neotropics
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropics, tropical Ecoregion#Terrestrial, terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperat ...
. As suggested by its name, 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 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 organ ...
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
The Pacific wren (''Troglodytes pacificus'') is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with '' Troglodytes hiemalis'' of eastern North America and '' Troglodytes trogl ...
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 Dubouzet ...
, but few
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
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 betwe ...
, 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 Yucatán ...
, 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 ''
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 ...
'' 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
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...
are partially migratory, spending the winter further south.
Behavior and ecology
Wrens vary from highly secretive species such as those found in the genus ''
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 ...
'' to the highly conspicuous 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 ...
'', 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 form of Dyad (sociology), dyadic Intimate relationship, relationship in which an individual has only one Significant other, partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (Monogamy#Serial monogamy, ...
or
polygamous
Crimes
Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, 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 ...
, depending on species.
Though little is known about the feeding habits of many of the Neotropical species, wrens are considered primarily
insectivorous
A robber fly eating a hoverfly
An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects.
The first vertebrate insectivores were ...
, eating insects, spiders, and other small
arthropod
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
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
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 ...
take snails; and 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 th ...
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, Cana ...
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 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 ar ...
s 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 (biology), family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin taxon, wastebin" family (biology), family. It contains the grass warblers, grassbirds, ...
, 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 "unispec ...
family.
Family Troglodytidae
![Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus 20061226](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Campylorhynchus_brunneicapillus_20061226.jpg)
*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 ...
''
**
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 th ...
(''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
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, and it is only found on the narrow coastal strip of the ...
(''Campylorhynchus yucatanicus'')
**
Boucard's wren
Boucard's wren (''Campylorhynchus jocosus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico.
Taxonomy and systematics
Boucard's wren has sometimes been considered conspecific with the spotted wren (''Campylorhynch ...
(''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. I ...
(''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](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Odontorchilus_branickii.jpg)
*Genus ''
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 ...
''
**
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](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/RockWren-1JAN2018.jpg)
*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 i ...
''
**
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 i ...
(''Salpinctes obsoletus'')
![Canyon Wren](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Canyon_Wren.jpg)
*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 ...
''
**
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, ...
(''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 stella ...
''
**
Sedge wren
The sedge wren (''Cistothorus stellaris'') is a small and secretive passerine bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is widely distributed in North America. It is often found in wet grasslands and meadows where it nests in the tall grasses and sed ...
(''Cistothorus stellaris'')
**
Mérida 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. ...
(''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. 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](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Thryomanes_bewickii_14431.JPG)
*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 (''Thryomanes bewickii'')
*Genus ''Ferminia''
**
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 ...
(''Ferminia cerverai'')
![Happy Wren - Oaxaca - Mexico S4E8421 (16982140919)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Happy_Wren_-_Oaxaca_-_Mexico_S4E8421_%2816982140919%29.jpg)
*Genus ''Pheugopedius'' (formerly included in ''Thryothorus'')
** Black-throated wren (''Pheugopedius atrogularis'')
** Sooty-headed wren (''Pheugopedius spadix'')
** Black-bellied wren (''Pheugopedius fasciatoventris'')
** Plain-tailed wren (''Pheugopedius euophrys'')
** Inca wren (''Pheugopedius eisenmanni'')
** Moustached wren (''Pheugopedius genibarbis'')
** Whiskered wren (''Pheugopedius mystacalis'')
** Coraya wren (''Pheugopedius coraya'')
** Happy wren (''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 (''Thryophilus rufalbus'')
**Antioquia wren (''Thryophilus sernai'')
** Niceforo's wren (''Thryophilus nicefori'')
** Sinaloa wren (''Thryophilus sinaloa'')
![Cantorchilus longirostris -Registro, Sao Paulo, Brazil-8](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Cantorchilus_longirostris_-Registro%2C_Sao_Paulo%2C_Brazil-8.jpg)
*Genus ''Cantorchilus'' (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 (''Cantorchilus griseus'')
** Riverside wren (''Cantorchilus semibadius'')
** Bay wren (''Cantorchilus nigricapillus'')
**Stripe-breasted wren (''Cantorchilus thoracicus'')
** Stripe-throated wren (''Cantorchilus leucopogon'')
*Genus ''Thryothorus''
**Carolina wren (''Thryothorus ludovicianus'')
*** White-browed wren (''Thryothorus (ludovicianus) albinucha'')
![Eurasian Wren Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary East Sikkim India 26](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Eurasian_Wren_Pangolakha_Wildlife_Sanctuary_East_Sikkim_India_26.03.2016.jpg)
*Genus ''Troglodytes (bird), Troglodytes'' (10–15 species, depending on Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy; includes species sometimes considered to be in the genus ''Nannus'', which may be distinct)
**
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 ...
(''Troglodytes troglodytes'')
** Winter wren (''Troglodytes hiemalis'')
**
Pacific wren
The Pacific wren (''Troglodytes pacificus'') is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with '' Troglodytes hiemalis'' of eastern North America and '' Troglodytes trogl ...
(''Troglodytes pacificus'')
**
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 ...
(''Troglodytes tanneri'')
**House wren (''Troglodytes aedon'')
**
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 ...
(''Troglodytes cobbi'')
**
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, ...
(''Troglodytes sissonii'')
** Rufous-browed wren (''Troglodytes rufociliatus'')
** Ochraceous wren (''Troglodytes ochraceus'')
** Mountain wren (''Troglodytes solstitialis'')
** Santa Marta wren (''Troglodytes monticola'')
** Tepui wren (''Troglodytes rufulus'')
*Genus ''Thryorchilus''
** Timberline wren (''Thryorchilus browni'')
*Genus ''Uropsila''
** White-bellied wren (''Uropsila leucogastra'')
*Genus ''Henicorhina'' (wood wrens)
** White-breasted wood wren (''Henicorhina leucosticta'')
** Grey-breasted wood wren (''Henicorhina leucophrys'')
** Hermit wood wren (''Henicorhina anachoreta'') – split from ''H. leucophrys''
**Bar-winged wood wren (''Henicorhina leucoptera'')
** Munchique wood wren (''Henicorhina negreti'')
*Genus ''
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 ...
''
** Northern nightingale-wren (''Microcerculus philomela'')
** Southern nightingale-wren (''Microcerculus marginatus'')
** Flutist wren (''Microcerculus ustulatus'')
** Wing-banded wren (''Microcerculus bambla'')
*Genus ''
Cyphorhinus
''Cyphorhinus'' is a genus of birds in the family Troglodytidae. Established by Jean Cabanis in 1844, it contains the following species:
* Song wren (''Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus'')
* Chestnut-breasted wren (''Cyphorhinus thoracicus'')
* Musici ...
''
** 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, 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 by a noisy wren when he was trying to hide from enemies in a bush.
The Carolina wren (''Thryothorus ludovicianus'') has been the state bird of South Carolina since 1948, and features on the back of its 50 State Quarters, state quarter.
The British Farthing (British coin), farthing featured a wren on the reverse side from 1937 until its demonetisation in 1960. The
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. I ...
(''Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus'') was designated the state bird of Arizona in 1931.
File:2000 SC Proof.png, alt=South Carolina state quarter
File:British farthing 1951 reverse.png, alt=British farthing
References
*
* [English with Spanish abstract]
External links
Videos, photos and soundsInternet Bird Collection
{{Authority control
Wrens,
Troglodytidae, *