Grass Wren vs Marsh Wren: How to Tell Them Apart

Grass Wren

Cistothorus platensis

Tiny9 gGrassland

The grass wren is 10 to 10.5 cm (3.9 to 4.1 in) long. Its upperparts are buffy brown with black and buffy whitish streaks on the back. The wings and tail have dusky bands. Its underparts are mostly buffy. Voice: The grass wren's song is a "series of short,...high notes such as high rattles, sharp trills, sparrowlike 'tr-tr-tr-tr' and nasal 'zèzèzèzè'."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Duet · Zamora-Chinchipe: Quebrada Calderón, upper Río Isimanchi, Cordillera Las Lagunillas, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: US NPS, , cleaned up with Picasa by Big iron. · Public domain

Marsh Wren

Cistothorus palustris

Tiny11 gWetland

Adults have brown upperparts with a light brown belly and flanks and a white throat and breast. The back is black with white stripes. They have a dark cap with a white line over the eyes and a short thin bill. The male's song is a loud gurgle used to declare ownership of territory; western males have a more varied repertoire. This little bird is native to Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Their breeding habitat is marshes with tall vegetation such as cattails across North America. In the western United States, some birds are permanent residents.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Song · Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, Dakota, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: wweellll · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

United States Canada Mexico

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Grass Wren and Marsh Wren.