Bird Guide

Canyon Wren vs Grey-breasted Wood Wren

Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus)

Canyon Wren

Catherpes mexicanus

Tiny12 gRocky

The canyon wren measures 14–15 cm (5.5–5.9 in) with a long thin beak and square-tipped tail. Its speckled, chestnut coloration shades to gray at the head with a contrasting white throat patch. Its coloration and small size allow it to camouflage seamlessly with its rocky environment. The canyon wren's loud, distinctive call consists of a series of cascading notes. It sings most frequently in spring, however mated pairs may sing at any time. When defending its territory, the song is harsher and has a lower frequency,

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Ana Rebeca Martinez Martinez · CC0
Photo: S. King, US NPS · Public domain
Grey-breasted Wood Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys)

Grey-breasted Wood Wren

Henicorhina leucophrys

Small16 gForest

The nominate subspecies of grey-breasted wood wren is 10 to 11.5 cm (3.9 to 4.5 in) long and weighs 13.5 to 17.7 g (0.48 to 0.62 oz). Its crown feathers are dull black with dark brown tips. Its nape and shoulders are a dark olive brown and its lower back, rump, and tail chestnut brown. The tail has blackish bars. It has a long gray-white supercilium, a wide black stripe behind the eye, and black cheeks streaked with pale gray. Its chin and throat are pale gray, the chest and belly a darker gray, and the sides of the belly and the lower flanks a dark buff. Voice: The songs and calls of the grey-breasted wood wren vary considerably across its range. In general the songs are "a series of very loud, ringing, energetic musical phrases, frequently repeated". It sings "virtually year-round and throughout the day, in all types of weather" and is "far more commonly heard than seen."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: JUAN ANTONIO ALONSO DE JUAN · CC BY 4.0
Photo: Лариса Артемьева · CC0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Canyon Wren and Grey-breasted Wood Wren.