| Bay wren | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In Costa Rica | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Troglodytidae |
| Genus: | Cantorchilus |
| Species: | C. nigricapillus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cantorchilus nigricapillus (PL Sclater, 1860) | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
Thryothorus nigricapillus | |
The bay wren (Cantorchilus nigricapillus) is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is native to southern Central America and northwestern South America. [2]
The bay wren has sometimes been treated as conspecific with the riverside wren (Cantorchilus semibadius) but their plumages are quite different as are DNA analyses. Some authors consider the two of them a superspecies but others deny that close relationship. [3] [4]
The bay wren has seven subspecies: [2]
The Clements taxonomy combines the first five as the "Central American" group and the last two as the "South American" group. [5] Other authors include schottii in the South American group. [6] [7]
The bay wren is 12.6 to 15.6 cm (5.0 to 6.1 in) long. Eight specimens from Panama weighed 17.7 to 26.3 g (0.62 to 0.93 oz). Adults of the nominate subspecies have a black face with a narrow white supercilium, a partial eyering, and a white patch at the back of the cheek. Their crown and nape are black and the rest of the upperparts are rich chestnut. The tail is a rich brown with bold black bars. The throat and breast are white, transitioning to rufous brown on the lower belly and flanks. Black bars cross the underparts from the breast to the vent area. Juveniles have essentially the same pattern but are paler and with less well defined markings. The other subspecies vary from the nominate in the extent and intensity of some colors and the thickness and amount of barring. [4]
The bay wren's range spans from Nicauagua to Ecuador. The subspecies are found thus: [2] [4]
The bay wren is closely tied to water over most of its range, though in Nicaragua the habitat is drier. It inhabits dense, fairly low, vegetation such as thickets along watercourses, overgrown clearings, roadsides, and the understory of secondary forest. It will occur in forest interiors if the undergrowth is sufficient. [4]
The bay wren's diet appears to be entirely invertebrates. They forage by gleaning from foliage and branches and by probing hanging vegetation and tangles of vines. [4]
The bay wren's breeding season is between March and October in Costa Rica, between March and November in Panama, and spans January to August in Colombia. Most of the nests that have been described were "elbow-shaped" with an entrance tube, though some were more round. They were made by both sexes from plant stems, grass, and other vegetable materials and lined with finer fibers. The clutch size is usually two or three. [4]
The bay wren's song is loud, "a rapid repetition of clear, rich-toned, slurred, ringing whistles, trills, and warbles" sometimes given antiphonally. The species has a number of calls. [4]
The IUCN has assessed the bay wren as being of Least Concern. [1] It seems to tolerate and possibly benefit from some forms of habitat modification caused by human activities, barring the complete destruction or conversion of suitable habitat. However, further study is required, and research into aspects of the species' demography in different habitats would also be of value. [4]
Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera. Only the Eurasian wren occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is commonly known simply as the "wren", as it is the originator of the name. The name wren has been applied to other, unrelated birds, particularly the New Zealand wrens (Acanthisittidae) and the Australian wrens (Maluridae).
The bronze-tailed plumeleteer is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The rufous-backed wren is a songbird of the family Troglodytidae. It is a resident breeding species from southwest Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica.
The grass wren is a species of passerine bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is widely distributed in central and southern America.
The sepia-brown wren or Sharpe's wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The Peruvian wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Peru.
The song wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The chestnut-breasted wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
The grey-breasted wood wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found from Mexico to Bolivia.
The southern nightingale-wren, also known as the scaly-breasted wren, is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
The timberline wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Costa Rica and western Panama.
The stripe-throated wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
The buff-breasted wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in the Amazon Basin of northern Brazil and Amazonian Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and northern-border Bolivia, and also the Guianan countries of Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. It occurs in non-Amazonian regions of Venezuela and Colombia and its range extends into eastern Panama.
The long-billed wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Brazil.
Cabanis's wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
The speckle-breasted wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The superciliated wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
The isthmian wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
The hermit wood wren or Santa Marta wood wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of northern Colombia.
The Veracruz wren is a songbird of the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico.
