Plain-tailed Wren
Encyclopedia
The Plain-tailed Wren (Pheugopedius euophrys) is a species of songbird
in the Troglodytidae family. It has a mostly rufous body with a gray, black, and white striped head. It is found in the Andes
of southern Colombia
, Ecuador
, and northern Peru
. Its natural habitat
is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Plain-tailed wrens are so-called bamboo specialists and live almost exclusively in chusquea
bamboo thickets. Like other wrens, its diet consists mainly of insects with some seeds and berries.
, the two are not considered separate subspecies.
Plain-tailed Wrens on the western slope of the Andes
tend to have heavy black spotting on the breast, while eastern-slope birds show no such markings.
Singing pairs of plain-tailed wrens take co-operation a stage further than human couples who finish off each other's sentences, research has shown. Males and females perform intimate duets in which they alternate
syllables so quickly it sounds as if a single bird is singing.
Scientists led by Dr Eric Fortune, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, discovered that the brains of both process the entire duet, not just each bird's own contribution.
The research, reported in the journal Science, involved recording duets sung by wrens in the bamboo forests of Ecuador's Antisana volcano.
bamboo thickets in tropical moist montane forests. It also frequents recently disturbed areas such as fresh landslides, presumably because of the increase in insect
activity. It is most commonly found at elevations between 2200 and 3200 metres. It is found mainly in Ecuador
, but its range extends into southern Colombia
and northern Peru
.
The Plain-tailed Wren is listed as a species of least concern. It is common within its range.
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
in the Troglodytidae family. It has a mostly rufous body with a gray, black, and white striped head. It is found in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
of southern Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, and northern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Plain-tailed wrens are so-called bamboo specialists and live almost exclusively in chusquea
Chusquea
Chusquea is a genus of bamboo with about 150 species. Most of them are mountain clumping bamboos native from southern Mexico to southern Chile and Argentina. They are sometimes referred to as South American mountain bamboos. Unlike most other bamboos, the stems of these species are solid, not hollow...
bamboo thickets. Like other wrens, its diet consists mainly of insects with some seeds and berries.
Taxonomy
The Plain-tailed Wren belongs to the order Passeriformes and the family Troglodytidae. Although there are subtle differences in appearance between birds from the east and west slopes of the AndesAndes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, the two are not considered separate subspecies.
Description
Physical
The plain-tailed Wren measures between 16 and 16.5cm. The back, wings, and tail are rufous, with an olive cast on the back. The belly and other underparts are buffy-gray, and the head is gray with black and white stripes (superciliary, malar, and submalar stripes). The bill is gray and slightly decurved. The Plain-tailed is large for a wren, but shows the characteristic short tail shared by the family. As the name suggests, it is unique among wrens because its tail lacks any barring.Plain-tailed Wrens on the western slope of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
tend to have heavy black spotting on the breast, while eastern-slope birds show no such markings.
Vocalizations
The Plain-tailed Wren sings a rolling, repetitive song. Males and females and even groups of wrens are known to join in duets. Two-part choruses usually take an ABCD form, where the male contributes the A and C phrases and the female sings during B and D. Group choruses are thought to be used in mutual territory defense to intimidate intruding individuals.Singing pairs of plain-tailed wrens take co-operation a stage further than human couples who finish off each other's sentences, research has shown. Males and females perform intimate duets in which they alternate
syllables so quickly it sounds as if a single bird is singing.
Scientists led by Dr Eric Fortune, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, discovered that the brains of both process the entire duet, not just each bird's own contribution.
The research, reported in the journal Science, involved recording duets sung by wrens in the bamboo forests of Ecuador's Antisana volcano.
Distribution and Habitat
The Plain-tailed Wren prefers chusqueaChusquea
Chusquea is a genus of bamboo with about 150 species. Most of them are mountain clumping bamboos native from southern Mexico to southern Chile and Argentina. They are sometimes referred to as South American mountain bamboos. Unlike most other bamboos, the stems of these species are solid, not hollow...
bamboo thickets in tropical moist montane forests. It also frequents recently disturbed areas such as fresh landslides, presumably because of the increase in insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
activity. It is most commonly found at elevations between 2200 and 3200 metres. It is found mainly in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, but its range extends into southern Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and northern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
The Plain-tailed Wren is listed as a species of least concern. It is common within its range.
Diet
The Plain-tailed Wren is mainly insectivorous, like most other wrens. Its diet can include seeds and berries, but these are not its primary food source. The bird is most often observed foraging on or near the ground in chusquea bamboo undergrowth, in search of invertebrates.Breeding
Plain-tailed Wrens are thought to use song duetting as a form of bonding and/or mate guarding. No other information regarding mating systems or nesting behavior was found.External Links
- song audio: http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/flashPlayer.do?id=83163