Rufous-and-white Wren
Encyclopedia
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
Thryothorus (Mann et al., 2006).
This large wren breeds in lowlands and foothills from sea level up to 1500 m altitude in dry forests or, in wetter areas, more open scrubby woodland. In Central America
, it mainly occurs on the Pacific side of the central mountain ranges Its flask-shaped nest is constructed 2-3 m high in a tree or shrub. The female alone incubates the three or four greenish-blue eggs for about two weeks to hatching, and the young fledge in about the same length of time again.
The adult Rufous-and-white Wren is 14-15 cm long and weighs 22-25 g. It has chestnut brown upperparts with a darker crown, strong white supercilium
, brown stripe through the eye and black streaking on the cheeks. The underparts are white, with black barring on the lower belly and brown flanks. The wings and tail are barred with black. Young birds have duller upperparts and buff-tinged underparts. The subspecies T. r. minlosi of the Andean
foothills of Venezuela has a greyish tinge to the crown and underparts.
The call of this species is a sharp chek or explosive tuck, and the song is a melodious and very distinctive sequence of slow hooting whistles, such as weee, boo, boo, booo, boo, whit. Pairs may duet, with the second bird responding with a purring ou-ou-ou-oouu,u,u,u.
The Rufous-and-white Wren forages actively in low vegetation or on the ground in pairs; it is a shy species more often heard than seen. It mainly eats insect
s, spider
s and other invertebrate
s
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. It is a resident breeding species from southwesternmost 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 northern Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and northwestern Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It was formerly placed in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Thryothorus (Mann et al., 2006).
This large wren breeds in lowlands and foothills from sea level up to 1500 m altitude in dry forests or, in wetter areas, more open scrubby woodland. In Central America
Central America
Central 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...
, it mainly occurs on the Pacific side of the central mountain ranges Its flask-shaped nest is constructed 2-3 m high in a tree or shrub. The female alone incubates the three or four greenish-blue eggs for about two weeks to hatching, and the young fledge in about the same length of time again.
The adult Rufous-and-white Wren is 14-15 cm long and weighs 22-25 g. It has chestnut brown upperparts with a darker crown, strong white supercilium
Supercilium
The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head. Also known as an "eyebrow", it is distinct from the eyestripe, which is a line which runs...
, brown stripe through the eye and black streaking on the cheeks. The underparts are white, with black barring on the lower belly and brown flanks. The wings and tail are barred with black. Young birds have duller upperparts and buff-tinged underparts. The subspecies T. r. minlosi of the Andean
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
foothills of Venezuela has a greyish tinge to the crown and underparts.
The call of this species is a sharp chek or explosive tuck, and the song is a melodious and very distinctive sequence of slow hooting whistles, such as weee, boo, boo, booo, boo, whit. Pairs may duet, with the second bird responding with a purring ou-ou-ou-oouu,u,u,u.
The Rufous-and-white Wren forages actively in low vegetation or on the ground in pairs; it is a shy species more often heard than seen. It mainly eats 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, 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 other invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s