The wrens are 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...

 birds in the mainly New World

New World

The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...

 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. There are approximately 80 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of true wrens in approximately 20 genera

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...

.
The genus eponymous of the family is Troglodytes

Troglodytes (wren)

Troglodytes is a genus of small passerine birds in the wren family.These wrens are around long. They are brownish above and somewhat paler below, with strong legs. Their short rounded wings and frequently cocked tail have a dark barred pattern. The flight is direct and buzzing.Troglodytes wrens...

. Only the Eurasian Wren

Eurasian Wren

The Eurasian Wren , is a very small bird, and the only member of the wren family Troglodytidae found in Eurasia. In Anglophone Europe it is commonly known simply as the Wren...

 occurs in the Old World

Old World

The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....

, 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 wren

New Zealand wren

The New Zealand wrens, Acanthisittidae, are a family of tiny passerines endemic to New Zealand. They were represented by six known species in four or five genera, although only two species survive in two genera today...

s (Acanthisittidae) and the Australian wrens (Maluridae

Maluridae

The Maluridae are a family of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. Commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the true wrens of the Northern Hemisphere...

).

Most wrens are small and rather inconspicuous, except for their loud and often complex songs. Notable exceptions are the relatively large members of the genus Campylorhynchus

Campylorhynchus

Campylorhynchus is a genus of wrens, which has at least thirteen described species. At 17–22 cm , these are the largest-bodied of wrens, including the largest species, the Giant Wren...

, which can be quite bold in their behavior. Wrens have short wings that are barred in most species, and they often hold their tails upright. As far as known, wrens are primarily insectivorous, eating insects, spiders and other small arthropod

Arthropod

An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...

s, but many species also eat vegetable matter and some will take small frogs/lizards.

Name and use of the term wren

The English name wren derives from Middle English wrenne, Old English wraenna, attested (as werna) very early, in an 8th century gloss. It is cognate to Old High German

Old High German

The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...

 wrendo, wrendilo and Icelandic rindill (the latter two including an additional diminutive -ilan suffix). The Icelandic name is attested in Old Icelandic (Edda

Edda

The term Edda applies to the Old Norse Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, both of which were written down in Iceland during the 13th century in Icelandic, although they contain material from earlier traditional sources, reaching into the Viking Age...

ic) rindilþvari. This points to a Common Germanic name *wrandjan-, but the further etymology of the name is unknown.

The wren is also known as kuningilin "kinglet" in Old High German, a name associated with a legend of an election of the "king of birds". The bird who could fly to the highest altitude would be made king. The eagle

Eagle

Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...

 outflew all other birds, but he was beaten by a small bird who had hidden in his plumage. This legend is already known to Aristotle

Aristotle

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...

 (Hist. animalium 9.11) and Plinius

Pliny the Elder

Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...

 (Naturalis hist. 10.74 ), and was taken up by medieval authors such as Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg

Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg

Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg , was a Swiss-born preacher, considered one of the greatest of the popular preachers of the 15th century.-Biography:...

, but it concerns Regulus, and is apparently motivated by the yellow "crown" sported by these birds (a point noted already by Ludwig Uhland

Ludwig Uhland

Johann Ludwig Uhland , was a German poet, philologist and literary historian.-Biography:He was born in Tübingen, then Duchy of Württemberg, and studied jurisprudence at the university there, but also took an interest in medieval literature, especially old German and French poetry...

). In modern German the name is "Zaunkönig", king of the fence (or bush).

The family name Troglodytidae is derived from troglodyte

Troglodyte

Troglodyte may refer to:* Homo troglodytes, an invalid taxon coined by Carl Linnaeus to refer to a legendary creature* Caveman, a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...

, which means "cave-dweller", and the 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

Wren (disambiguation)

Wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae.Wren may also refer to:- Organisms :* Birds other than Troglodytidae:** New Zealand wren ** Maluridae, the Australasian "wrens"...

 of passerine birds throughout the world. In Europe, species of Regulus are commonly known as "wrens", the Common Firecrest and Goldcrest

Goldcrest

The Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers gives rise to its English and scientific names, and possibly to it being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore. Several subspecies are recognised across the very...

 as "fire-crested wren" and "golden-crested wren", respectively.

The 27 Australasia

Australasia

Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...

n "wren" species in the family Maluridae

Maluridae

The Maluridae are a family of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. Commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the true wrens of the Northern Hemisphere...

 are unrelated, as are the New Zealand wren

New Zealand wren

The New Zealand wrens, Acanthisittidae, are a family of tiny passerines endemic to New Zealand. They were represented by six known species in four or five genera, although only two species survive in two genera today...

s in the family Acanthisittidae, the antwrens in the family Thamnophilidae, and the wren-babblers 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

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...

 are among the smallest passerines in that part of the world. They range in size from the White-bellied Wren

White-bellied Wren

The White-bellied Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Uropsila.It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico....

, which averages under 10 centimetres (3.9 in) and 9 gram (0.317465658946008 oz), to the Giant Wren

Giant Wren

The Giant Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to the Pacific slope of Chiapas state in Mexico. It is the only species of bird endemic to Chiapas....

, which averages about 22 centimetres (8.7 in) and weighs almost 50 grams (1.8 oz). The dominating colours of their plumage

Plumage

Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...

 are generally drab, composed of grey, brown, black and white, and most species show some barring, especially to tail and/or wings. There is no sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...

 in the plumage of wrens, and little difference between young birds and adults. All have fairly long, straight to marginally decurved bills.

Wrens have loud and often complex songs, sometimes given in duet by a pair. The song of members of the genera Cyphorhinus

Cyphorhinus

Cyphorhinus is a genus of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It contains the following species:* Song Wren * Chestnut-breasted Wren * Musician Wren...

 and Microcerculus

Microcerculus

Microcerculus is a genus of bird in the wren family Troglodytidae. It contains the following species:* Wing-banded Wren * Southern Nightingale-Wren...

 have been considered especially pleasant to the human ear, leading to common names such as Song Wren

Song Wren

The Song Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....

, Musician Wren

Musician Wren

The Musician Wren or Organ Wren is a species of wren named for its elaborate song. It is native to the Amazon Rainforest in South America, and west and southwestwards into the Amazonian Andes. In Portuguese it is known as Uirapuru or many other variants of this name, all based on the Tupi wirapu 'ru...

, Flutist Wren

Flutist Wren

The Flutist Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is restricted to humid highland forest in the Tepui region of northern Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela....

 and Southern Nightingale-Wren

Southern Nightingale-Wren

The Southern Nightingale-Wren , also known as the Scaly-breasted Wren, is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family...

.

Habitat and distribution

Wrens are principally a New World Family, distributed from Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

 and 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 southern Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, with the greatest species richness

Species richness

Species richness is the number of different species in a given area. It is represented in equation form as S.Species richness is the fundamental unit in which to assess the homogeneity of an environment. Typically, species richness is used in conservation studies to determine the sensitivity of...

 in the Neotropics. As suggested by its name, the Eurasian Wren

Eurasian Wren

The Eurasian Wren , is a very small bird, and the only member of the wren family Troglodytidae found in Eurasia. In Anglophone Europe it is commonly known simply as the Wren...

 is the only species of wren found outside the Americas, as restricted to Europe, Asia and northern Africa (it was formerly considered conspecific with the Winter Wren

Winter Wren

The Winter Wren is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with Troglodytes pacificus of western North America and Troglodytes troglodytes of Eurasia under the name Winter Wren.It breeds in coniferous forests from British...

 and Pacific Wren

Pacific Wren

The Pacific Wren is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae...

 of North America). There are a number of insular species, including the Clarion Wren

Clarión Wren

The Clarión Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Clarión Island off Pacific Mexico....

 and Socorro Wren

Socorro Wren

The 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...

 from the Revillagigedo Islands

Revillagigedo Islands

The Revillagigedo Islands or Revillagigedo Archipelago are a group of four volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, known for their unique ecosystem...

 in the Pacific Ocean, and the Cobb's Wren

Cobb's Wren

Cobb'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...

 in the Falkland Islands

Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...

, but few Caribbean

Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

 islands have a species of wren, with only the Southern House Wren

House Wren

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...

 in 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...

, the Cozumel Wren

House Wren

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...

 of Cozumel Island, and the highly restricted Zapata Wren

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....

 in a single swamp in Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

.

The various species occur in a wide range of habitats, ranging from dry, sparsely wooded country to rainforest. Most species are mainly found at low levels, but members of the genus Campylorhynchus

Campylorhynchus

Campylorhynchus is a genus of wrens, which has at least thirteen described species. At 17–22 cm , these are the largest-bodied of wrens, including the largest species, the Giant Wren...

 are frequently found higher, and the two members of Odontorchilus

Odontorchilus

Odontorchilus is a small genus of South American birds in the Troglodytidae family. These small grey wrens are relatively long-tailed , and, uniquely in the family, they live in the canopy and subcanopy of humid forest, with one species associated with forest growing on the east Andean slope and...

 are restricted to the forest canopy. A few species, notably the Eurasian Wren and the House Wren

House Wren

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...

, 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

Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...

 are partially migratory, spending the winter further south.

Behaviour

Wrens vary from highly secretive species such as those found in the genus Microcerculus

Microcerculus

Microcerculus is a genus of bird in the wren family Troglodytidae. It contains the following species:* Wing-banded Wren * Southern Nightingale-Wren...

 to the highly conspicuous genus Campylorhynchus

Campylorhynchus

Campylorhynchus is a genus of wrens, which has at least thirteen described species. At 17–22 cm , these are the largest-bodied of wrens, including the largest species, the Giant Wren...

, the members of which will frequently sing from exposed perches. The family as a whole exhibits a great deal of variation in their behaviour. Temperate species generally occur in pairs, but some tropical species may occur in parties of up to twenty birds.

Wrens build dome-shaped nests, and may be either monogamous or polygamous, depending on species.

Though little is known about the feeding habits of many of the Neotropical species, wrens are considered primarily insectivorous, eating insects, spiders and other small arthropod

Arthropod

An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...

s. Many species also take vegetable matter such as seeds and berries, some (primarily the larger species) will take small frogs/lizards, the Eurasian Wren

Eurasian Wren

The Eurasian Wren , is a very small bird, and the only member of the wren family Troglodytidae found in Eurasia. In Anglophone Europe it is commonly known simply as the Wren...

 has been recorded wading into shallow water to catch small fish and tadpoles, the Sumichrast's Wren

Sumichrast's Wren

The Sumichrast's Wren , or the Slender-billed Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and plantations ....

 and Zapata Wren

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....

 will take snails, and the Giant Wren

Giant Wren

The Giant Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to the Pacific slope of Chiapas state in Mexico. It is the only species of bird endemic to Chiapas....

 and Marsh Wren

Marsh Wren

The Marsh Wren is a small North American songbird of the wren family. It is sometimes called Long-billed Marsh Wren to distinguish it from the Sedge Wren, also known as Short-billed Marsh Wren....

 have been recorded attacking and eating bird eggs (in the latter species, even eggs of conspecifics). A local Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 name for the Giant Wren and Bicolored Wren is chupahuevo ("egg-sucker"), but whether the latter actually eats eggs is unclear. The Plain Wren

Plain Wren

The Plain Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama....

 and Northern House Wren

House Wren

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...

 sometimes destroy bird eggs, and the Rufous-and-white Wren

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...

 has been recorded killing nestlings, but this is apparently to eliminate potential food competitors rather than feed on the eggs/nestlings. Several species of Neotropical wrens sometimes participate in mixed-species flocks or follow army ants

Ant-follower

Ant-followers are birds that feed by following swarms of army ants and take prey flushed by those ants. The best known ant-followers are 18 species of antbird in the family Thamnophilidae, but other families of birds may follow ants including thrushes, chats, ant-tanagers, cuckoos, and...

, and the Eurasian Wren may follow Badgers to catch prey items disturbed by them.

Genus list in taxonomic order

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 are known to exist. The Black-capped Donacobius

Black-capped Donacobius

The Black-capped Donacobius 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, and Venezuela; also Panama of Central America.-Taxonomy:The Black-capped...

 is an enigmatic species traditionally placed with the wrens more for lack of a more apparent alternative and/or thorough study. It was more recently determined to be most likely closer to certain "warblers", possibly the newly established Megaluridae

Megaluridae

Locustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds , formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family. It contains the grass-warblers, grassbirds, and the Bradypterus "bush-warblers". These birds occur mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region...

, and might constitute a monotypic

Monotypic

In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...

 family.

FAMILY: TROGLODYTIDAE

• Genus Odontorchilus
  Odontorchilus
  Odontorchilus is a small genus of South American birds in the Troglodytidae family. These small grey wrens are relatively long-tailed , and, uniquely in the family, they live in the canopy and subcanopy of humid forest, with one species associated with forest growing on the east Andean slope and...
  
  
  • Grey-mantled Wren
    Grey-mantled Wren
    The Grey-mantled Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:...
    
     (Odontorchilus branickii)
  • Tooth-billed Wren
    Tooth-billed Wren
    The Tooth-billed Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Bolivia and Brazil.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
    
     (Odontorchilus cinereus)

• Genus Salpinctes
  • 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...
    
     (Salpinctes obsoletus)

• Genus Microcerculus
  Microcerculus
  Microcerculus is a genus of bird in the wren family Troglodytidae. It contains the following species:* Wing-banded Wren * Southern Nightingale-Wren...
  
  
  • Flutist Wren
    Flutist Wren
    The Flutist Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is restricted to humid highland forest in the Tepui region of northern Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela....
    
     (Microcerculus ustulatus)
  • Southern Nightingale-Wren
    Southern Nightingale-Wren
    The Southern Nightingale-Wren , also known as the Scaly-breasted Wren, is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family...
    
     (Microcerculus marginatus)
  • Northern Nightingale-Wren
    Northern Nightingale-Wren
    The Northern Nightingale-Wren is a species ofpasserine bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua....
    
     (Microcerculus philomela)
  • Wing-banded Wren
    Wing-banded Wren
    The Wing-banded Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
    
     (Microcerculus bambla)

• Genus Catherpes
  • Canyon Wren
    Canyon Wren
    The Canyon Wren is a small North American wren, and is about 14.5 cm long. It ranges from far southern British Columbia and Montana south through much of Mexico to western Chiapas and east to Oklahoma and Texas...
    
     (Catherpes mexicanus)

• Genus Hylorchilus
  Hylorchilus
  Hylorchilus is a genus of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It contains the following species:* Nava's Wren * Sumichrast's Wren...
  
  
  • Nava's Wren
    Nava's Wren
    The Nava's Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
    
     (Hylorchilus navai)
  • Sumichrast's Wren
    Sumichrast's Wren
    The Sumichrast's Wren , or the Slender-billed Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and plantations ....
    
     or Slender-billed Wren (Hylorchilus sumichrasti)

• Genus Campylorhynchus
  Campylorhynchus
  Campylorhynchus is a genus of wrens, which has at least thirteen described species. At 17–22 cm , these are the largest-bodied of wrens, including the largest species, the Giant Wren...
  
  
  • Band-backed Wren
    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 central region being in southern Central America, in Costa...
    
     (Campylorhynchus zonatus)
  • Bicolored Wren (Campylorhynchus griseus)
  • Boucard's Wren
    Boucard's Wren
    The Boucard's Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland....
    
     (Campylorhynchus jocosus)
  • Cactus Wren
    Cactus Wren
    The Cactus Wren is a species of wren that is native to the southwestern United States southwards to central Mexico.-Description:...
    
     (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)
  • Fasciated Wren
    Fasciated Wren
    The Fasciated Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Ecuador and Peru.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude...
    
     (Campylorhynchus fasciatus)
  • Giant Wren
    Giant Wren
    The Giant Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to the Pacific slope of Chiapas state in Mexico. It is the only species of bird endemic to Chiapas....
    
     (Campylorhynchus chiapensis)
  • Gray-barred Wren (Campylorhynchus megalopterus)
  • Rufous-naped Wren
    Rufous-naped Wren
    The Rufous-naped Wren, Campylorhynchus rufinucha, is a songbird of the Troglodytidae family, the wrens. It is a resident breeding species from central-southwest Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica....
    
     (Campylorhynchus rufinucha)
  • Spotted Wren
    Spotted Wren
    The Spotted Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
    
     (Campylorhynchus gularis)
  • Stripe-backed Wren
    Stripe-backed Wren
    The Stripe-backed Wren, Campylorhynchus nuchalis, is a bird found in the savannas of northern Colombia and central Venezuela. It lives in dry, riparian woodland, or farmlands, and is found at heights up to 800 m....
    
     (Campylorhynchus nuchalis)
  • Thrush-like Wren
    Thrush-like Wren
    The Thrush-like Wren is a South American species of bird in the Troglodytidae family, the wrens. As suggested by its common and scientific name, its size and coloration are vaguely reminiscent of that of a thrush, although the general impression it gives in life is very different and not at all...
    
     (Campylorhynchus turdinus)
  • White-headed Wren
    White-headed Wren
    The White-headed Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Colombia and Panama.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest....
    
     (Campylorhynchus albobrunneus)
  • Yucatan Wren
    Yucatan Wren
    The Yucatan Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and is only found on the narrow coastal strip of the northern Yucatán Peninsula. One of the key habitats of this species is the Petenes mangroves...
    
     (Campylorhynchus yucatanicus)

• Genus Thryomanes
  • 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)

• Genus Thryothorus
  • Carolina Wren
    Carolina Wren
    The Carolina Wren is a common species of wren, resident in the eastern half of the USA, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico...
    
     (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    • White-browed Wren (Thryothorus (ludovicianus) albinucha)

• Genus Cinnycerthia
  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. None of them are considered to be threatened with extinction and they are classified as species of Least Concern by BirdLife International...
  
  
  • Fulvous Wren
    Fulvous Wren
    The Fulvous Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It was formerly considered a subspecies of Cinnycerthia peruana. As presently defined, the Fulvous Wren is found in dense undergrowth of humid Andean forests in Bolivia and southern Peru.-References:* BirdLife International 2006. ...
    
     (Cinnycerthia fulva)
  • Peruvian Wren
    Peruvian Wren
    The Peruvian Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It formerly included the Sepia-brown Wren or Sharpe's Wren and the Fulvous Wren as subspecies, but with all three under the common name Sepia-brown Wren...
    
     (Cinnycerthia peruana)
  • Rufous Wren
    Rufous Wren
    -Description:The Rufous Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:...
    
     (Cinnycerthia unirufa)
  • Sepia-brown Wren or Sharpe's Wren (Cinnycerthia olivascens)

• Genus Cantorchilus
  Cantorchilus
  Cantorchilus is a genus of birds in the wren family. The species within it were previously included in Thryothorus. It contains 9 species.-Species:* Stripe-breasted Wren...
  
   (formerly included in Thryothorus)
  • Stripe-breasted Wren
    Stripe-breasted Wren
    The Stripe-breasted Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama....
    
     (Cantorchilus thoracicus)
  • Stripe-throated Wren
    Stripe-throated Wren
    The Stripe-throated Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
    
     (Cantorchilus leucopogon)
  • Plain Wren
    Plain Wren
    The Plain Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama....
    
     (Cantorchilus modestus)
    • Canebrake Wren (Cantorchilus (modestus) zeledoni)
  • Riverside Wren
    Riverside Wren
    The Riverside Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
    
     (Cantorchilus semibadius)
  • Bay Wren
    Bay Wren
    The Bay Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama....
    
     (Cantorchilus nigricapillus)
  • Superciliated Wren
    Superciliated Wren
    The Superciliated Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Ecuador and Peru....
    
     (Cantorchilus superciliaris)
  • Buff-breasted Wren
    Buff-breasted Wren
    The Buff-breasted Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family, the wrens.It is found in the Amazon Basin of northern Brazil and Amazonian Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and northern-border Bolivia; also the Guianan countries Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana...
    
     (Cantorchilus leucotis) (probably not monophyletic)
  • Fawn-breasted Wren
    Fawn-breasted Wren
    The Fawn-breasted Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family, the wrens.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay....
    
     (Cantorchilus guarayanus)
  • Long-billed Wren
    Long-billed Wren
    The Long-billed Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Brazil.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.-References:*...
    
     (Cantorchilus longirostris)

• Genus Thryophilus
  Thryophilus
  Thryophilus is a genus of wrens in the Troglodytidae family. It contains 5 species, which were previously classified in Thryothorus.-Species:* Gray Wren * Rufous-and-white Wren...
  
   (formerly included in Thryothorus)
  • Gray Wren (Thryophilus griseus) (placement in genus requires confirmation)
  • Rufous-and-white Wren
    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...
    
     (Thryophilus rufalbus)
  • Niceforo's Wren
    Niceforo's Wren
    The Niceforo's Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is endemic to Colombia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
    
     (Thryophilus nicefori)
  • Sinaloa Wren
    Sinaloa Wren
    The Sinaloa Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Mexico, with two documented sightings in the United States....
    
     (Thryophilus sinaloa)

• Genus Pheugopedius
  Pheugopedius
  Pheugopedius is a genus of wrens in the Troglodytidae family whose species were formerly included in Thryothorus...
  
   (formerly included in Thryothorus)
  • Moustached Wren
    Moustached Wren
    The Moustached Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest.It is 15.5 cm long...
    
     (Pheugopedius genibarbis)
  • Coraya Wren
    Coraya Wren
    The Coraya Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family, the wrens.-Distribution and habitat:It is found in Amazonian northern and northwestern South America, the northern Amazon Basin and the Guianas, of Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, and Amazonian southeast Colombia, eastern Ecuador,...
    
     (Pheugopedius coraya)
  • Whiskered Wren
    Whiskered Wren
    The Whiskered Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife...
    
     (Pheugopedius mystacalis)
  • Plain-tailed Wren
    Plain-tailed Wren
    The Plain-tailed Wren is a species of songbird in the Troglodytidae family. It has a mostly rufous body with a gray, black, and white striped head. It is found in the Andes of southern Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests...
    
     (Pheugopedius euophrys)
  • Black-bellied Wren
    Black-bellied Wren
    The Black-bellied Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27...
    
     (Pheugopedius fasciatoventris)
  • Black-throated Wren
    Black-throated Wren
    The Black-throated Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama....
    
     (Pheugopedius atrogularis)
  • Sooty-headed Wren
    Sooty-headed Wren
    The Sooty-headed Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Colombia and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27...
    
     (Pheugopedius spadix)
  • Speckle-breasted Wren
    Speckle-breasted Wren
    The Speckle-breasted Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.-References:* BirdLife...
    
     (Pheugopedius sclateri)
  • Happy Wren
    Happy Wren
    The Happy Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife...
    
     (Pheugopedius felix)
  • Inca Wren
    Inca Wren
    The Inca Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is endemic to Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:...
    
     (Pheugopedius eisenmanni)
  • Rufous-breasted Wren
    Rufous-breasted Wren
    The Rufous-breasted Wren, Pheugopedius rutilus, is a small songbird of the wren family . It was formerly placed in the genus Thryothorus which in the old, broad sense was a motley assemblage of similar-looking wrens....
    
     (Pheugopedius rutilus)
  • Spot-breasted Wren
    Spot-breasted Wren
    The Spot-breasted Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua....
    
     (Pheugopedius maculipectus)
  • Banded Wren
    Banded Wren
    The Banded Wren, Pheugopedius pleurostictus, is a small songbird of the wren family. It is a resident breeding species from central Mexico to Costa Rica. It was formerly placed in the genus Thryothorus ....
    
     (Pheugopedius pleurostictus)

• Genus Cyphorhinus
  Cyphorhinus
  Cyphorhinus is a genus of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It contains the following species:* Song Wren * Chestnut-breasted Wren * Musician Wren...
  
  
  • Chestnut-breasted Wren
    Chestnut-breasted Wren
    The Chestnut-breasted Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is found in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and western Bolivia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
    
     (Cyphorhinus thoracicus)
  • Musician Wren
    Musician Wren
    The Musician Wren or Organ Wren is a species of wren named for its elaborate song. It is native to the Amazon Rainforest in South America, and west and southwestwards into the Amazonian Andes. In Portuguese it is known as Uirapuru or many other variants of this name, all based on the Tupi wirapu 'ru...
    
     (Cyphorhinus aradus)
  • Song Wren
    Song Wren
    The Song Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
    
     (Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus)

• Genus Uropsila
  • White-bellied Wren
    White-bellied Wren
    The White-bellied Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Uropsila.It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico....
    
     (Uropsila leucogastra)

• Genus Henicorhina
  Henicorhina
  Henicorhina is the wood-wren genus; these are birds in the family Troglodytidae. It contains the following species:* Bar-winged Wood-wren, Henicorhina leucoptera* Grey-breasted Wood-wren, Henicorhina leucophrys...
  
   - wood-wrens
  • Bar-winged Wood-Wren
    Bar-winged Wood-Wren
    The Bar-winged Wood-Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found locally in humid Andean forest in southern Ecuador and northern Peru....
    
     (Henicorhina leucoptera)
  • Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys)
  • White-breasted Wood-Wren
    White-breasted Wood-Wren
    The White-breasted Wood-Wren, Henicorhina leucosticta, is a small songbird of the wren family. It is a resident breeding species from central Mexico to northeastern Peru and Surinam.-Description:...
    
     (Henicorhina leucosticta)
  • Munchique Wood-Wren
    Munchique Wood-wren
    The Munchique Wood-Wren is a member of the wren family , described as new to science in 2003. It was first observed by Steven Hilty in the 1980s and not described until detailed studies by Paul Salaman, Paul Coopmans, Thomas Donegan and others in the region in 2001...
    
    , (Henicorhina negreti)

• Genus Thryorchilus
  • Timberline Wren
    Timberline Wren
    The Timberline Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Thryorchilus. It is found in Costa Rica and western Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27...
    
     (Thryorchilus browni)

• Genus Troglodytes
  Troglodytes (wren)
  Troglodytes is a genus of small passerine birds in the wren family.These wrens are around long. They are brownish above and somewhat paler below, with strong legs. Their short rounded wings and frequently cocked tail have a dark barred pattern. The flight is direct and buzzing.Troglodytes wrens...
  
   (10-15 species, depending on 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...
  
  ; includes Nannus which may be distinct however)

• Genus Cistothorus
  Cistothorus
  Cistothorus is a genus of birds in the Troglodytidae family. It contains the following species:* Apolinar's Wren, Cistothorus apolinari* Mérida Wren, Cistothorus meridae* Marsh Wren or Long-billed Marsh Wren, Cistothorus palustris...
  
  
  • Apolinar's Wren
    Apolinar's Wren
    The Apolinar's Wren is a passerine bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is endemic to the Andean areas of Colombia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland , freshwater lakes, and freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss...
    
     (Cistothorus apolinari)
  • Marsh Wren
    Marsh Wren
    The Marsh Wren is a small North American songbird of the wren family. It is sometimes called Long-billed Marsh Wren to distinguish it from the Sedge Wren, also known as Short-billed Marsh Wren....
    
     (Cistothorus palustris)
  • Mérida Wren
    Mérida Wren
    The Mérida Wren , or the Paramo Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.-References:...
    
     or Paramo Wren (Cistothorus meridae)
  • Sedge Wren
    Sedge Wren
    The Sedge Wren, Cistothorus platensis, is a small songbird of the Wren family. It was formerly known as the Short-billed Marsh Wren, and in South America is known as the Grass Wren. There are about 20 different subspecies which are found across most of the Americas...
    
     (Cistothorus platensis)

• Genus Ferminia
  • Zapata Wren
    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....
    
    (Ferminia cerverai)

External links

• Wren videos on the Internet Bird Collection