Canyon Wren
Encyclopedia
The Canyon Wren is a small North America
n wren
, and is about 14.5 cm (5.75 inches) long. It ranges from far southern British Columbia
and Montana
south through much of Mexico
to western Chiapas
and east to Oklahoma
and Texas
. It is the only species in the genus Catherpes.
Similar to the Rock Wren
in habitat and habits, the Canyon Wren prefers rocky environments near water
, particularly in fairly dry country and steep terrain (sometimes including buildings). It feeds on insect
s and spider
s by probing into crevices with its long bill
. Its coloration is rustier than that of the Rock Wren
, even on the belly, with a contrasting white throat and breast. The Canyon Wren is more often heard than seen, and its falling series of whistles is one of the more familiar bird calls of the canyons of the western United States.
It builds a cup nest
out of twigs and other vegetation in a rock crevice. It lays 4 to 6 egg
s, white with reddish brown and gray speckles.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
, and is about 14.5 cm (5.75 inches) long. It ranges from far southern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
south through much of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to western Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
and east to Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is the only species in the genus Catherpes.
Similar to the Rock Wren
Rock Wren
The Rock Wren is a small songbird of the wren family. It is the only species in the genus Salpinctes.The 12 cm long adults have grey-brown upperparts with small black and white spots and pale grey underparts with a light brown rump...
in habitat and habits, the Canyon Wren prefers rocky environments near water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
, particularly in fairly dry country and steep terrain (sometimes including buildings). It feeds on insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s by probing into crevices with its long bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
. Its coloration is rustier than that of the Rock Wren
Rock Wren
The Rock Wren is a small songbird of the wren family. It is the only species in the genus Salpinctes.The 12 cm long adults have grey-brown upperparts with small black and white spots and pale grey underparts with a light brown rump...
, even on the belly, with a contrasting white throat and breast. The Canyon Wren is more often heard than seen, and its falling series of whistles is one of the more familiar bird calls of the canyons of the western United States.
It builds a cup nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
out of twigs and other vegetation in a rock crevice. It lays 4 to 6 egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s, white with reddish brown and gray speckles.
External links
- Canyon Wren at USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Canyon Wren Information - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Canyon Wren Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Canyon Wren on the Internet Bird Collection
- Canyon Wren photo gallery VIREO
- Photo-High Res--(Close-up); Article - i.pbase.com-(Photos)
