Zapata Wren
Encyclopedia
The Zapata Wren, Ferminia cerverai, is a medium sized grayish-brown bird that lives in dense shrub
s of the Zapata Swamp
, Cuba
. It is the only member of the monotypical genus
Ferminia.
Measuring about 16 centimetres (6.3 in) in length, it is brown overall, though striped with black and with grayish underparts. Its tail is long.
The Zapata Wren is confined and endemic
to the Zapata Peninsula
of southern Cuba. It was formally described by American herpetologist
Thomas Barbour
, who gave it the specific name cevererai in honour of the wren’s discoverer, Fermín Zanón Cervera
, a Spaniard who had stayed on after the Spanish–American War and become a professional naturalist
.
Barbour had been accompanied by Cervera on his previous visits to Cuba, and on hearing of the strange birds to be found in the Zapata area, he sent the Spaniard on a series of trips into the region, eventually leading to the finding of the wren.
The bird's song is similar to that of the House Wren
, in that it is high-pitched and loud, described as a "musical warble preceded by guttural note, given in series of three or four phrases."
The Zapata Wren's habitat
is typically freshwater marsh
and lowland savanna
with scattered bushes and low trees. It feeds on insect
s, spider
s, small snails, lizard
s and berries. The wren typically makes its nest in sawgrass tussocks
. It is thought to breed between January and July.
Typical threats are fires in the dry season
, drainage of the wetland
s, destruction due to agriculture, and predation
by introduced mongooses and rats.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s of the Zapata Swamp
Zapata Swamp
Zapata Swamp is located on the Zapata Peninsula in the southern Matanzas province of Cuba. It is located less than southeast of Havana.-Species and preservation:...
, 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...
. It is the only member of the monotypical 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...
Ferminia.
Measuring about 16 centimetres (6.3 in) in length, it is brown overall, though striped with black and with grayish underparts. Its tail is long.
The Zapata Wren is confined and endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
to the Zapata Peninsula
Zapata Peninsula
Zapata Peninsula is a large peninsula in Matanzas Province, southern Cuba, at . Ciénaga de Zapata National Park is located on the peninsula....
of southern Cuba. It was formally described by American herpetologist
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
Thomas Barbour
Thomas Barbour
Thomas Barbour was an American herpetologist. From 1927 until 1946, he was director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology founded in 1859 by Louis Agassiz at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
, who gave it the specific name cevererai in honour of the wren’s discoverer, Fermín Zanón Cervera
Fermín Zanón Cervera
Fermín Zanón Cervera was a Spanish zoologist, born in Godelleta, Valencia. He fought in Cuba in the Spanish–American War and stayed on after as a member of the Civil Guard prior to becoming a professional naturalist...
, a Spaniard who had stayed on after the Spanish–American War and become a professional naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
.
Barbour had been accompanied by Cervera on his previous visits to Cuba, and on hearing of the strange birds to be found in the Zapata area, he sent the Spaniard on a series of trips into the region, eventually leading to the finding of the wren.
The bird's song is similar to that of 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...
, in that it is high-pitched and loud, described as a "musical warble preceded by guttural note, given in series of three or four phrases."
The Zapata Wren's habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is typically freshwater marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
and lowland savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
with scattered bushes and low trees. 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, 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, small snails, lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s and berries. The wren typically makes its nest in sawgrass tussocks
Cladium
Cladium is a genus of large sedges, with a worldwide distribution in tropical and temperate regions...
. It is thought to breed between January and July.
Typical threats are fires in the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
, drainage of the wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, destruction due to agriculture, and predation
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
by introduced mongooses and rats.
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- Image of Cervera and his Zapata birds at Birding Cuba
- Zapata Wren videos on the Internet Bird Collection
