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Grass Wren

Cistothorus platensis

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesGrasslandDomed nestTiny · 9 g
Grass Wren (Cistothorus platensis), photo 1
Photo: US NPS, , cleaned up with Picasa by Big iron. · Public domain
Grass Wren (Cistothorus platensis), photo 2
Photo: Andrew C · CC BY 2.0
Grass Wren (Cistothorus platensis), photo 3
Photo: Bale & Danielsson; Bannwarth, Th.; Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company; Godman, Frederick Du Cane; Hanhart; Horman-Fisher, Maud; Knight, H.; Mintern Bros.; Purkiss, W.; Salvin, Osbert; Saunders, G. S.; Schlereth, M. v.; Sharp, M. A.; Taylor & Francis; Wilson, Edwin · Public domain
Grass Wren (Cistothorus platensis), photo 4
Photo: Andrew C · CC BY 2.0
Grass Wren (Cistothorus platensis), photo 5
Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren · CC BY 2.0

What the Grass Wren sounds like

Sonogram of the Grass Wren: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Duet · Zamora-Chinchipe: Quebrada Calderón, upper Río Isimanchi, Cordillera Las Lagunillas, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Grass Wren: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Duet · Pichincha: Pasochoa, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Grass Wren: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Alarm · Imbabura: Intag: Laguna Cuicocha-Apuela road, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

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'."

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Grass Wren

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 11 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Grass Wren

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 19 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United States Canada Chile Colombia Ecuador Argentina Mexico Falkland Islands Peru Brazil Costa Rica Honduras Belize Bolivia Venezuela Paraguay Uruguay Guatemala Nicaragua

Recorded as a rare visitor in Bahamas.

About the Grass Wren

The grass wren is a species of passerine bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is widely distributed in central and southern America.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Apolinar's Wren (Cistothorus apolinari) Apolinar's WrenCistothorus apolinariApolinar's wren is 12 cm (4.7 in) long. Merida WrenCistothorus meridaeThe Mérida wren is 10 cm (3.9 in) long. Sedge Wren (Cistothorus stellaris) Sedge WrenCistothorus stellarisThe sedge wren is a relatively small wren that measures 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in), weighs 7 to 10 g (0.25 to 0.35 oz) and has a wing-chord of 4.1 to 4.6 cm (1.6 to 1.8 in).

Side by side: Grass Wren vs Marsh Wren · Grass Wren vs Rock Wren · Canyon Wren vs Grass Wren

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