The house wren is the most widely distributed native bird in the Americas. It is found from Canada to the southern tip of South America.
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House wren range - Wikipedia |
There are 32 subspecies, some of which are sometimes considered separate species. In general, the southern house wren, which I saw, is found from southern Mexico through Central America and South America.
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This shows the darker upper bill and lighter lower bill, pinkish legs, faint eye-ring and black barring on wings and tail. |
They are only 4 to 5 inches long with a wingspan of 5.9 inches. The subspecies vary greatly, but all subspecies have black barring in the wings and tail, a faint eye-ring and eyebrow, a long thin bill with a black upper beak, a black tipped yellowish or pale gray lower beak, and pinkish or gray legs. The tail is also usually cocked.
I got a very poor photo of a southern house wren in Ecuador last year and more and better photos this year at Tinamu Reserve in Colombia, although none are particularly good.
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This is my one photo from Mashpi Amagus Reserve in Ecuador last year. |
I love wrens. They are the rank-and-file, the average Joe, of the bird world.
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