Birds Guide

Wrens
Cactus Wren
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae Swainson, 1832
Genera
Donacobius Odontorchilus Salpinctes Microcerculus Campylorhynchus Catherpes Hylorchilus Thryomanes Thryothorus Cinnycerthia Cantorchilus Thryophilus Pheugopedius Cyphorhinus Uropsila Thryorchilus Henicorhina Troglodytes Cistothorus Ferminia

The true wrens are members of a mainly New World passerine bird family Troglodytidae containing 79 species.

A troglodyte means a cave-dweller, and wrens get their scientific name from the tendency of some species to forage in dark crevices. They are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and a thin down-turned bill. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.

Only one species, Troglodytes troglodytes, known as the Winter Wren in North America, occurs in the Old World, where it is commonly known simply as the Wren.

The 27 Australasian "wren" species are unrelated and are in the family Maluridae, as are the New Zealand "wrens" in the family Acanthisittidae.

The wren is to become the next official mascot of The College of William and Mary.

Species list

This list follows the review by Mann et al. (2006).

• Genus Donacobius
  • Black-capped Donacobius Donacobius atricapillus

• Genus Odontorchilus
  • Gray-mantled Wren Odontorchilus branickii
    Tooth-billed Wren Odontorchilus cinereus

• Genus Salpinctes
  • Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus

• Genus Microcerculus
  • Flutist Wren Microcerculus ustulatus
    Nightingale Wren Microcerculus philomela
    Scaly-breasted Wren Microcerculus marginatus
    Wing-banded Wren Microcerculus bambla

• Genus Catherpes
  • Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus

• Genus Hylorchilus
  • Nava's Wren Hylorchilus navai
    Slender-billed Wren Hylorchilus sumichrasti

• Genus Campylorhynchus
  • Band-backed Wren Campylorhynchus zonatus
    Bicolored Wren Campylorhynchus griseus
    Boucard's Wren Campylorhynchus jocosus
    Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
    Fasciated Wren Campylorhynchus fasciatus
    Giant Wren Campylorhynchus chiapensis
    Gray-barred Wren Campylorhynchus megalopterus
    Rufous-naped Wren Campylorhynchus rufinucha
    Spotted Wren Campylorhynchus gularis
    Stripe-backed Wren Campylorhynchus nuchalis
    Thrush-like Wren Campylorhynchus turdinus
    White-headed Wren Campylorhynchus albobrunneus
    Yucatan Wren Campylorhynchus yucatanicus

• Genus Thryomanes
  • Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii

• Genus Thryothorus
  • Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
    • White-browed Wren Thryothorus (l.) albinucha

• Genus Cinnycerthia
  • Fulvous Wren Cinnycerthia fulva
    Peruvian Wren Cinnycerthia peruana
    Rufous Wren Cinnycerthia unirufa
    Sharpe's Wren Cinnycerthia olivascens

• Genus Cantorchilus (formerly Thryothorus)
  • Stripe-breasted Wren Cantorchilus thoracicus
    Stripe-throated Wren Cantorchilus leucopogon
    Plain Wren Cantorchilus modestus
    Riverside Wren Cantorchilus semibadius
    Bay Wren Cantorchilus nigricapillus
    Superciliated Wren Cantorchilus superciliaris
    Buff-breasted Wren Cantorchilus leucotis (probably not monophyletic)
    Fawn-breasted Wren Cantorchilus guarayanus
    Long-billed Wren Cantorchilus longirostris

• Genus Thryophilus (formerly Thryothorus)
  • Gray Wren Thryophilus griseus (placement in genus requires confirmation)
    Rufous-and-white Wren Thryophilus rufalbus
    Niceforo's Wren Thryophilus nicefori
    Sinaloa Wren Thryophilus sinaloa
    Banded Wren Thryophilus pleurostictus

• Genus Pheugopedius (formerly Thryothorus)
  • Moustached Wren Pheugopedius genibarbis
    Coraya Wren Pheugopedius coraya
    Whiskered Wren Pheugopedius mystacalis
    Plain-tailed Wren Pheugopedius euophrys
    Black-bellied Wren Pheugopedius fasciatoventris
    Black-throated Wren Pheugopedius atrogularis
    Speckle-breasted Wren Pheugopedius sclateri
    Sooty-headed Wren Pheugopedius spadix
    Happy Wren Pheugopedius felix
    Inca Wren Pheugopedius eisenmanni
    Rufous-breasted Wren Pheugopedius rutilus
    Spot-breasted Wren Pheugopedius maculipectus

• Genus Cyphorhinus
  • Chestnut-breasted Wren Cyphorhinus thoracicus
    Musician Wren Cyphorhinus aradus
    Song Wren Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus

• Genus Uropsila
  • White-bellied Wren Uropsila leucogastra

• Genus Thryorchilus
  • Timberline Wren Thryorchilus browni

• Genus Henicorhina
  • Bar-winged Wood Wren Henicorhina leucoptera
    Gray-breasted Wood Wren Henicorhina leucophrys
    White-breasted Wood Wren Henicorhina leucosticta
    Munchique Wood-wren, Henicorhina negreti

• Genus Troglodytes
  • Clarion Island Wren Troglodytes tanneri
    Cobb's Wren Troglodytes cobbi
    House Wren Troglodytes aedon
    Socorro Wren Trodlodytes sissonii (sometimes placed in Thryomanes)
    Mountain Wren Troglodytes solstitialis
    Ochraceous Wren Troglodytes ochraceus
    Rufous-browed Wren Troglodytes rufociliatus
    Santa Marta Wren Troglodytes monticola
    Tepui Wren Troglodytes rufulus
    Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes (sometimes monotypic genus Nannus)

• Genus Cistothorus
  • Apolinar's Wren Cistothorus apolinari
    Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris
    Paramo Wren Cistothorus meridae
    Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis

• Genus Ferminia
  • Zapata Wren Ferminia cerverai

References

• Mann, Nigel I.; Barker, F. Keith; Graves, Jeff A.; Dingess-Mann, Kimberly A. & Slater, Peter J. B. (2006): Molecular data delineate four genera of "Thryothorus" wrens. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40: 750–759. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.04.014 (HTML abstract)

External links

• Wren videos on the Internet Bird Collection