House Wren
Encyclopedia
The House Wren, Troglodytes aedon, is a very small songbird
of the wren
family
, Troglodytidae. It occurs from Canada
to southernmost South America
, and is thus the most widely distributed bird in the Americas
. It occurs in most suburban areas in its range and it is the single most common wren. Its taxonomy
is highly complex and some subspecies
groups are often considered separate species.
Adults are 11–13 cm (4.3–5.1 in) long and weigh about 12 gram (0.423287545261344 oz). The subspecies
vary greatly, with upperparts ranging from dull greyish-brown to rich rufescent
-brown, and the underparts ranging from brown, over buff and pale grey, to pure white. All subspecies have blackish barring to the wings and tail, and some also to the flanks. All subspecies show a faint eye-ring and eyebrow and have a long, thin bill with a blackish upper mandible, and a black-tipped yellowish or pale grey lower mandible. The legs are pinkish or grey. The short tail is typically held cocked.
This bird's rich bubbly song is commonly heard during the nesting season but rarely afterwards. There is marked geographical variation in its song, though somewhat more gradual than in the birds' outward appearance which can strikingly differ e.g. on neighboring islands in the Caribbean
.VanderGaast & Jaramillo (2005) Birds from far north and south of the species' range nonetheless have songs that differ markedly.
groups and one or several distinct island-endemic subspecies. Some or all of these are often considered distinct species.
It has also been suggested that the taxa from the Lesser Antilles
represent one or more separate species,
but there is less agreement as to their subdivision, because as far as they have been studied to date, there is little clear biogeographical structure among these populations.
Three additional taxa from more oceanic islands have traditionally been included in the House Wren, but are increasingly considered as separate species:
The Socorro Wren is a highly distinct form, appearing somewhat like a mixture between a House Wren and a Bewick's Wren
(Thryomanes bewickii).
, the House Wren is thought to achieve the highest density in floodplain forests in the western great plains where it uses woodpecker holes as nesting sites. In South and Central American it can be found in virtually any habitat and is, as indicated by its common name
, often associated with humans. North American birds migrate
to the southern United States
and Mexico
for winter. Most return to the breeding grounds in late April to May, and leave for winter quarters again around September to early October. These birds forage actively in vegetation. They mainly eat insect
s such as butterfly larvae, also spider
s and snail
s. Southern house wrens rarely attend mixed-species feeding flock
s.
House Wrens are feisty and pugnacious animals considering their tiny size. They are known to occasionally destroy the egg
s of other birds nesting in their territory by puncturing the eggshell. They are also known to fill up other birds' nests within its territory with sticks to make them unusable.
Depending on the exact population, the House Wrens' clutch
is usually between two and eight red-blotched cream-white eggs, weighing about 1.4 grams each and measuring c.17 and 13.4 mm at the widest points. Only the female incubates these, for around 12–19 days, and she will every now and then leave the nest for various reasons. When on the nest, the male provisions her with food. The young, which like all passerine
s hatch almost naked and helpless, take another 15–19 days or so to fledge
. They are being fed by both parents, and need plenty of food given their tiny size (see also Bergmann's Rule
). As the young near fledging, the parents spend much of their time procuring food for them. Brood loss due to predation was found to be light in the Southern Andean Yungas
, with predation of nestling young being almost insignificant. Known predators of House Wrens at the nest include cat
s, rat
s, opossums, woodpecker
s, fox
es, raccoon
s, squirrel
s, snake
s and owl
s. Adults away from the nests can usually avoid these predators although both small hawk
s and owls occasionally predate free-flying adult wrens.
Migrant populations are nesting within 6 weeks of returning from winter quarters, leaving theoretically time for a second brood. In the subtropical montane forest of northwestern Argentina and similar habitat, the Southern House Wren breeds in the rainy summer months from late October to late December.
In Washington, D.C. area, House Wren parents made significantly more feeding trips per hour in suburban backyards compared to rural backyards. Yet rural nestlings grew at a faster rate than their suburban counterparts. In addition, suburban parents spent less time brooding (sitting on the nest) compared to rural parents. Such results suggest that suburban backyard habitats offer House Wrens food for nestlings that is inferior in either quality or quantity to what rural habitats offer. Food items may, for example, be smaller in suburban habitats, and force adults to make more trips to the box.
, but is still common and widespread throughout most of the Americas
. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN, though this would certainly not hold true for several of the island population if they turn out to be true species.
Some taxa, especially from the Lesser Antilles
, are rare and highly endangered or possibly already extinct. Several factors seem to have contributed to a varying degree to the decline of these birds, namely habitat destruction
, predation by introduced mongoose
s, and hurricanes:
The Saint Vincent Wren (Troglodytes aedon musicus) of Saint Vincent
was close to extinction in the mid-late 20th century; it has since recovered and today is not uncommon
As remarked above, these are variously placed in T. musculus if that is considered distinct, or as one or several distinct species.
illustrates the House Wren in Birds of America
(published, London 1827-38) as Plate 83. The image was engraved and colored by the Robert Havell, London workshops.. The original watercolor by Audubon was purchased by the New York History Society where it remains to this day (January 2009).
109(2): 321-333. DOI
:10.1650/0010-5422(2007)109[321:BBOPIA]2.0.CO;2 PDF fulltext|year=2008|id=147807|title=Troglodytes aedon|downloaded=16 November 2008}} (1991): A guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd edition). Comstock Publishing, Ithaca, N.Y.. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2 (1906): A preliminary list of the birds of Seneca County, Ohio. Wilson Bull. 18(2): 47-60. DjVu fulltext PDF fulltext (2003): Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm
, London. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5 (2005): Troglodytidae. pp. 356–447 in: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. (2005). Handbook of the Birds of the World
. Vol. 10. Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.ISBN 84-87334-72-5 (1999): A composição dos bandos mistos de aves na Mata Atlântica da Serra de Paranapiacaba, no sudeste brasileiro [Mixed flocks of birds in Atlantic Rain Forest in Serra de Paranapiacaba, southeastern Brazil]. Revista Brasileira de Biologia 59(1): 75-85 [Portuguese with English abstract]. PDF fulltext (2008): Reproductive Success of House Wrens in Suburban and Rural Land-Use Areas. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120: 99-104. (2004): Annotated Ohio state checklist. Version of April 2004. PDF fulltext (2005): Field Guides Incorporated Trip List - Lesser Antilles April 9, 2005 to April 23, 2005. PDF fulltext
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
of the 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....
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Troglodytidae. It occurs from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to southernmost South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and is thus the most widely distributed bird in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. It occurs in most suburban areas in its range and it is the single most common wren. Its taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
is highly complex and some subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
groups are often considered separate species.
Description
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
vary greatly, with upperparts ranging from dull greyish-brown to rich rufescent
Rufous
Rufous is a colour that may be described as reddish-brown or brownish-red, as of rust or oxidised iron.The first recorded use of rufous as a colour name in English was in the year 1782....
-brown, and the underparts ranging from brown, over buff and pale grey, to pure white. All subspecies have blackish barring to the wings and tail, and some also to the flanks. All subspecies show a faint eye-ring and eyebrow and have a long, thin bill with a blackish upper mandible, and a black-tipped yellowish or pale grey lower mandible. The legs are pinkish or grey. The short tail is typically held cocked.
This bird's rich bubbly song is commonly heard during the nesting season but rarely afterwards. There is marked geographical variation in its song, though somewhat more gradual than in the birds' outward appearance which can strikingly differ e.g. on neighboring islands in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.VanderGaast & Jaramillo (2005) Birds from far north and south of the species' range nonetheless have songs that differ markedly.
Systematics and taxonomy
The House Wren is usually divided into three distinct subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
groups and one or several distinct island-endemic subspecies. Some or all of these are often considered distinct species.
- Northern House Wren, Troglodytes (aedon) aedon group – CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to southern USA - Brown-throated WrenBrown-throated WrenThe Brown-throated Wren is a mostly Mexican bird in the wren family, often considered a subspecies of the House Wren.-Range and habitat:...
, Troglodytes (aedon) brunneicollis group – southern USA and central ranges of MexicoMexicoThe 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... - Cozumel Wren, Troglodytes (aedon) beani – Cozumel Island off the Yucatan PeninsulaYucatán PeninsulaThe Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
, Mexico - Southern House Wren, Troglodytes (aedon) musculus group – southern Mexico, CentralCentral AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
It has also been suggested that the taxa from the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
represent one or more separate species,
but there is less agreement as to their subdivision, because as far as they have been studied to date, there is little clear biogeographical structure among these populations.
Three additional taxa from more oceanic islands have traditionally been included in the House Wren, but are increasingly considered as separate species:
- Cobb's WrenCobb's WrenCobb's Wren is a fairly small wren which is endemic to the Falkland Islands. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the House Wren but is now commonly considered to be a separate species due to differences in plumage, voice, ecology and morphology.-Description:The plumage is brown, greyer...
, Troglodytes cobbi – Falkland Islands (South Atlantic) - Socorro WrenSocorro WrenThe Socorro Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Socorro Island, Mexico. It was formerly placed in Thryomanes but was moved to Troglodytes considering "manners, song, plumage, etc." and by biogeography and mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 sequence analysis.Its...
, Troglodytes sissonii – SocorroSocorro IslandSocorro Island is a small volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands, a Mexican possession lying some 600 kilometers off the country's western coast at 18°48'N, 110°59'W. The size is 16.5 by 11.5 km, with an area of 132 km².- Geology :...
, Revillagigedo Islands - Clarion WrenClarión WrenThe Clarión Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Clarión Island off Pacific Mexico....
, Troglodytes tanneri – ClarionClarion IslandIsla Clarión, formerly called Santa Rosa, is the second largest, westernmost and most remote of the Revillagigedo Islands, west of Socorro Island and over from the Mexican mainland and an area ². It has three prominent peaks. The westernmost and tallest peak, Monte Gallegos, is high...
, Revillagigedo IslandsRevillagigedo IslandsThe Revillagigedo Islands or Revillagigedo Archipelago are a group of four volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, known for their unique ecosystem...
(East Pacific)
The Socorro Wren is a highly distinct form, appearing somewhat like a mixture between a House Wren and a Bewick's Wren
Bewick's Wren
The Bewick's Wren is a wren native to North America. At about 14 cm long, it is grey-brown above, white below, with a long white eyebrow. While similar in appearance to the Carolina Wren, it has a long tail that is tipped in white. The song is loud and melodious, much like the song of other...
(Thryomanes bewickii).
Ecology
In North AmericaNorth 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...
, the House Wren is thought to achieve the highest density in floodplain forests in the western great plains where it uses woodpecker holes as nesting sites. In South and Central American it can be found in virtually any habitat and is, as indicated by its common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
, often associated with humans. North American birds migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
to the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 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...
for winter. Most return to the breeding grounds in late April to May, and leave for winter quarters again around September to early October. These birds forage actively in vegetation. They mainly eat 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 such as butterfly larvae, also 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 and snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
s. Southern house wrens rarely attend mixed-species feeding flock
Mixed-species feeding 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...
s.
Reproduction
The nesting habits do not seem to differ significantly between the Northern and Southern House Wrens at least. They usually construct a large cup nest in various sorts of cavities, taking about a week to build. The nest is made from small dry sticks and is usually lined with a variety of different materials. These include: feather, hair, wool, spider cocoons, strips of bark, rootlets, moss, and trash. The male wren finds dry sticks, which he adds to the nest. Once he is done, the female inspects at the nest; but if she does not approve of the construction, she will throw any unwanted sticks to the ground. After this process, the female lines the nest. Nest cavities are usually a few meters above ground at most, but occasionally on cliffs as high up as 15 meters and more at least in southern populations; they may be natural or man-made, often using bird houses.House Wrens are feisty and pugnacious animals considering their tiny size. They are known to occasionally destroy the 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 of other birds nesting in their territory by puncturing the eggshell. They are also known to fill up other birds' nests within its territory with sticks to make them unusable.
Depending on the exact population, the House Wrens' clutch
Clutch (eggs)
A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
is usually between two and eight red-blotched cream-white eggs, weighing about 1.4 grams each and measuring c.17 and 13.4 mm at the widest points. Only the female incubates these, for around 12–19 days, and she will every now and then leave the nest for various reasons. When on the nest, the male provisions her with food. The young, which like all passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
s hatch almost naked and helpless, take another 15–19 days or so to fledge
Fledge
Fledge is the stage in a young bird's life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. It also describes the act of a chick's parents raising it to a fully grown state...
. They are being fed by both parents, and need plenty of food given their tiny size (see also Bergmann's Rule
Bergmann's Rule
Bergmann's rule is an ecogeographic principle that states that within a broadly distributed genus, species of larger size are found in colder environments, and species of smaller size are found in warmer regions. Although originally formulated in terms of species within a genus, it has often been...
). As the young near fledging, the parents spend much of their time procuring food for them. Brood loss due to predation was found to be light in the Southern Andean Yungas
Yungas
The Yungas is a stretch of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains from southeastern Peru through central Bolivia. It is a transitional zone between the Andean highlands and the eastern forests. Like the surrounding areas, it has characteristics of the Neotropic ecozone...
, with predation of nestling young being almost insignificant. Known predators of House Wrens at the nest include cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s, rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s, opossums, woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s, snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s and owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s. Adults away from the nests can usually avoid these predators although both small hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s and owls occasionally predate free-flying adult wrens.
Migrant populations are nesting within 6 weeks of returning from winter quarters, leaving theoretically time for a second brood. In the subtropical montane forest of northwestern Argentina and similar habitat, the Southern House Wren breeds in the rainy summer months from late October to late December.
In Washington, D.C. area, House Wren parents made significantly more feeding trips per hour in suburban backyards compared to rural backyards. Yet rural nestlings grew at a faster rate than their suburban counterparts. In addition, suburban parents spent less time brooding (sitting on the nest) compared to rural parents. Such results suggest that suburban backyard habitats offer House Wrens food for nestlings that is inferior in either quality or quantity to what rural habitats offer. Food items may, for example, be smaller in suburban habitats, and force adults to make more trips to the box.
Conservation status
The House Wren may have been displaced somewhat in some northern parts of its range by the introduction of the House SparrowHouse Sparrow
The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia...
, but is still common and widespread throughout most of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN, though this would certainly not hold true for several of the island population if they turn out to be true species.
Some taxa, especially from the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
, are rare and highly endangered or possibly already extinct. Several factors seem to have contributed to a varying degree to the decline of these birds, namely habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
, predation by introduced mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
s, and hurricanes:
- Martinique Wren, Troglodytes aedon martinicensis) – MartiniqueMartiniqueMartinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, apparently extinct (c.1890) - Guadeloupe Wren, Troglodytes aedon guadeloupensis – GuadeloupeGuadeloupeGuadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, possibly extinct (late 20th century?) - Saint Lucia Wren, Troglodytes aedon mesoleucus – Saint LuciaSaint LuciaSaint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
, believed extinct by 1970s, subsequently rediscovered but still precariously rare
The Saint Vincent Wren (Troglodytes aedon musicus) of Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
was close to extinction in the mid-late 20th century; it has since recovered and today is not uncommon
As remarked above, these are variously placed in T. musculus if that is considered distinct, or as one or several distinct species.
In culture
John James AudubonJohn James Audubon
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...
illustrates the House Wren in Birds of America
Birds of America (book)
The Birds of America is a book by naturalist and painter John James Audubon, containing illustrations of a wide variety of birds of the United States. It was first published as a series of sections between 1827 and 1838, in Edinburgh and London....
(published, London 1827-38) as Plate 83. The image was engraved and colored by the Robert Havell, London workshops.. The original watercolor by Audubon was purchased by the New York History Society where it remains to this day (January 2009).
Cited texts
(2007): Breeding biology of passerines in a subtropical montane forest in Northwestern Argentina. [English with Spanish abstract] CondorCondor (journal)
The Condor is a peer-reviewed quarterly scientific journal covering ornithology and published by the Cooper Ornithological Society.-History:...
109(2): 321-333. DOI
Digital object identifier
A digital object identifier is a character string used to uniquely identify an object such as an electronic document. Metadata about the object is stored in association with the DOI name and this metadata may include a location, such as a URL, where the object can be found...
:10.1650/0010-5422(2007)109[321:BBOPIA]2.0.CO;2 PDF fulltext|year=2008|id=147807|title=Troglodytes aedon|downloaded=16 November 2008}} (1991): A guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd edition). Comstock Publishing, Ithaca, N.Y.. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2 (1906): A preliminary list of the birds of Seneca County, Ohio. Wilson Bull. 18(2): 47-60. DjVu fulltext PDF fulltext (2003): Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm
Helm Identification Guides
The Helm Identification Guides are a series of books that identify groups of birds. The series include two types of guides, those that are:* Taxonomic, dealing with a particular family of birds on a worldwide scale—most early Helm Guides were this type, as well as many more-recent ones,...
, London. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5 (2005): Troglodytidae. pp. 356–447 in: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. (2005). Handbook of the Birds of the World
Handbook of the Birds of the World
The Handbook of the Birds of the World is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. The series is edited by Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal and David A Christie.So far, 15...
. Vol. 10. Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.ISBN 84-87334-72-5 (1999): A composição dos bandos mistos de aves na Mata Atlântica da Serra de Paranapiacaba, no sudeste brasileiro [Mixed flocks of birds in Atlantic Rain Forest in Serra de Paranapiacaba, southeastern Brazil]. Revista Brasileira de Biologia 59(1): 75-85 [Portuguese with English abstract]. PDF fulltext (2008): Reproductive Success of House Wrens in Suburban and Rural Land-Use Areas. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120: 99-104. (2004): Annotated Ohio state checklist. Version of April 2004. PDF fulltext (2005): Field Guides Incorporated Trip List - Lesser Antilles April 9, 2005 to April 23, 2005. PDF fulltext
External links
- House Wren by John James Audubon (1821) - Hi-definition close-up images from Birds of America.
- House Wren Parenting - Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
- House Wren - Birds of Washington State
- House Wren videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- House Wren Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- House Wren - Troglodytes aedon - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- House Wren Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- House Wren - Video at YouTube
- Videos from inside a house wren nest - Video clips showing development from eggs to fledglings (Faunascope)
- Stamps
- House Wren Bird Sound