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Song Wren

Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesForestDomed nestSmall · 25 g
Song Wren (Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus), photo 1
Photo: Juan Zamora · CC BY 2.0
Song Wren (Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus), photo 2
Photo: Juan Zamora · CC BY 2.0

What the Song Wren sounds like

Sonogram of the Song Wren: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Esmeraldas: Canandé ridge trail, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Song Wren: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · El Oro: Reserva Buenaventura 9 km WNW Piñas, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Song Wren: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, song · El Oro: Reserva Buenaventura 9 km WNW Piñas, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The song wren is 11.5 to 12.5 cm (4.5 to 4.9 in) long and weighs 25 to 26 g (0.88 to 0.92 oz). Its body is nearly uniformly brown, though sometimes paler on the breast. It has a chestnut throat and black bars on the wings and its very short tail. It has a patch of bare blue skin around the eye. The subspecies have some variations in color and intensity, and extensive descriptive details can be found in Pollock and Agin (2020). Voice: The song wren's song has been described as "clear, melodious whistles superimposed on harsh, henlike clucking". Both sexes sing year round to defend a territory. Variations in song between the sexes and in different parts of the range have been noted but not systematically studied.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Song Wren

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is March, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Song Wren

Regular range

The map shades 6 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Panama Costa Rica Ecuador Colombia Nicaragua Honduras

About the Song Wren

The song wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

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

Easily confused with

Northern Chestnut-breasted Wren (Cyphorhinus dichrous) Northern Chestnut-breasted WrenCyphorhinus dichrousThe northern chestnut-breasted wren is a species of passerine bird in the wren family Troglodytidae that is found in central Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru. Musician Wren (Cyphorhinus arada) Musician WrenCyphorhinus aradaThe musician wren is 12.5 cm (4.9 in) long and weighs 18 to 24 g (0.63 to 0.85 oz). Southern Chestnut-breasted Wren (Cyphorhinus thoracicus) Southern Chestnut-breasted WrenCyphorhinus thoracicusThe southern chestnut-breasted wren is 11.5 to 15 cm (4.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 26.5 to 41 g (0.93 to 1.45 oz).

Side by side: Musician Wren vs Song Wren

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