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 th ...

bird in the wren family. It is a subspecies of 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 a ...

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 else ...

to the Shetland

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 Arc ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, with the exception of

Fair Isle Fair Isle (; sco, Fair Isle; non, Friðarey; gd, Fara) is an island in Shetland, in northern Scotland. It lies about halfway between mainland Shetland and Orkney. It is known for its bird observatory and a traditional style of knitting. Th ...

which has its own endemic subspecies, the Fair Isle wren. 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 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

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