Canyon Wren

I have many distinctive memories of hiking in canyons in Utah and Arizona, particularly as a boy, and hearing a very loud and haunting bird singing a series of cascading notes that echo throughout the canyon: Havasupai, Coyote Gulch, Organ Pipe Cactus NM and others. It is my favorite sound of canyon country.  I've wanted to see this miraculous bird and was very surprised when I learned it was a very small bird. I can only recall seeing it once, on March 12, 2008 in Estes Canyon in Organ Pipe Cactus NM in southern Arizona. I am very surprised to see its large range because I associate it with desert canyons. 

Canyon wren

It has a long thin beak, a square-tipped tail, is speckled, is chestnut colored which shades to gray at the head and has a white throat patch. 

This is an illustration of ssp. mexicanus from Birds of the World. There are about 8 ssp. and no discussion about where they are found, so I don't know if this is the ssp. I saw. 

Range from Birds of the World.