| Timberline wren | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Troglodytidae |
| Genus: | Thryorchilus Oberholser, 1904 |
| Species: | T. browni |
| Binomial name | |
| Thryorchilus browni (Bangs, 1902) | |
 | |
The timberline wren (Thryorchilus browni) is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Costa Rica and western Panama. [2]
The timberline wren is the only member of genus Thryorchilus, but its taxonomy at the subspecies level is unsettled. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) considers it to be monotypic. [2] The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Birds of the World lists three subspecies, but notes that this treatment is disputed and that timberline wren should be "perhaps better considered monotypic." [3] The Clements taxonomy and the Handbook of Birds of the World list the same three subspecies without comment. [4] [5]
The three disputed subspecies are the nominate Thryorchilus browni browni, T. b. ridgwayi, and T. b. basultoi. [3] [4] [5]
The timberline wren is 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weighs 14 g (0.49 oz). The adult of the nominate subspecies has rich chestnut brown crown and upperparts and a reddish brown tail with thin dark bars. It has a broad gray-white supercilium, a chocolate brown stripe behind the eye, and grayish cheeks with narrow black markings. Its throat and chest are grayish white, its upper belly a mottled grayish white, its lower belly brown, and its flanks and vent area reddish brown. The juvenile is grayer below with a scalloped appearance. T. b. ridgwayi is larger than the nominate and has deeper reddish brown upperparts. T. b. basultoi has a wider supercilium, whitish markings on the upperparts and the sides of its neck, and has whiter underparts. [3]
The timberline wren's range is disjunct, and spans from central Costa Rica south to northern Panama. T. b. ridgwayi is found on Volcán Turrialba, Volcán Irazú, and adjacent areas in central Costa Rica. T. b. basultoi is found in the Cordillera de Dota of south central Costa Rica. The nominate T. b. browni is found on Volcán Barú, Volcán de Chiriquí, and Cerro Copete in western Panama. [3] [4]
The timberline wren inhabits páramo and near-páramo moorland at the upper edge of tree line, and is partial to bamboo thickets. In elevation it mostly ranges between 2,800 and 3,600 m (9,200 and 11,800 ft) but can be found as low as 2,200 m (7,200 ft). [3]
The timberline wren typically forages on or near the ground, sometimes fluttering to pick prey from leaves and creeping along mossy branches. Its diet includes small insects, caterpillars, and spiders. [3]
The timberline wren's breeding season in Costa Rica spans from April to June. Its nest is a hollow ball constructed of bamboo leaves lined with finer material. It has a side entrance and is placed 1 to 3 m (3.3 to 9.8 ft) up in bamboo or a shrub. The typical clutch size is two. [3]
The timberline wren's song is quite different from that of any Troglodytes wren; it is a repeated "series of half a dozen scratchy, warbling notes, lasting 2–3 seconds". Its call is "a harsh scolding 'churr'". [3]
The IUCN has assessed the timberline wren as being of Least Concern. [1] Though it has a restricted range, it is considered common to abundant in its habitat. Much of its range is in national parks and receives little human pressure. [3]
The rufous-breasted wren is a small songbird of the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
The ochraceous wren is a small songbird of the wren family. It is a resident breeding species in Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia.
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 Central American pygmy owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
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 song wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
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 stripe-throated wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
The spot-breasted wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
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 bay wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is native to southern Central America and northwestern South America.
The speckle-breasted wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The sooty-headed wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia and Panama.
The mountain wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in the Andes of northwestern Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and western Venezuela.
The white-bellied wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
The Chocó screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found from central Panama to western Ecuador.
The vermiculated screech owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The isthmian wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
