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Troglodytes (wren)
Encyclopedia
Troglodytes is a genus of small passerine
birds in the wren
family.
These wrens are around 11–13 cm (4.3–5.1 in) long. They are brownish above and somewhat paler below, with strong legs. Their short rounded wings and frequently cocked tail have a dark barred pattern. The flight is direct and buzzing.
Troglodytes wrens are mostly found in somewhat cooler habitats than most of their relatives. Most of the species are found in the mountains from Mexico
to northern South America
. Five species are found in temperate latitudes: The House Wren
occurs widely in both tropical and temperate lowlands, but is frequently split into several species. Until recently, the hardy Winter Wren
was believed to have a wide distribution in North America
, Europe
and Asia
, but it has recently been split into three species, of which the Eurasian Wren
is the only wren of any genus found outside the New World
. The Cobb's Wren
of the Falkland Islands
is another species which tolerates harsh conditions well.
Like other wrens, they are elusive as they hunt for small insect
s and spider
s, but they readily reveal their positions through their loud songs.
These are territorial birds, but the tiny Winter Wren will roost communally in a cavity in cold weather to help conserve heat.
and the Cistothorus
species rather than the Henicorhina
wood-wrens as is sometimes proposed.
A number of the Troglodytes species, such as the Clarion Wren, were formerly considered subspecies of the House Wren, and it has been argued that at least the tropical forms of the House Wren should be further split as the Southern House Wren, Troglodytes musculus. The Socorro Wren, in older times placed into Thryomanes (Bewick's Wren
), is actually a close relative of the House Wren complex, as indicated by "manners, song, plumage, etc" and by biogeography
and mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase
subunit
2 sequence
analysis.
The Winter Wren is less closely related to the other members of the genus, and is occasionally split as the monotypic
genus Nannus. It might actually be closely related to Cistothorus, but again, the molecular data is insufficient to properly resolve this issue.
In early 2010, the American Ornithologist's Union voted to split the species formerly known as Winter Wren
into three separate species, as follows
Even with the help of the most recent molecular data the relationships of the species could not be fully resolved however. There appear to be 2 clade
s, one comprising the house wren group and another containing Central and South American species. The relationships of the Rufous-browed
and Brown-throated Wren
s are indeterminable with the present molecular data; they appear fairly basal
and the former might be closer to the house wren group than the latter. The Santa Marta Wren
is quite enigmatic and little-studied.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
birds in the wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
family.
These wrens are around 11–13 cm (4.3–5.1 in) long. They are brownish above and somewhat paler below, with strong legs. Their short rounded wings and frequently cocked tail have a dark barred pattern. The flight is direct and buzzing.
Troglodytes wrens are mostly found in somewhat cooler habitats than most of their relatives. Most of the species are found in the mountains from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Five species are found in temperate latitudes: The House Wren
House Wren
The House Wren, Troglodytes aedon, is a very small songbird of the wren family, Troglodytidae. It occurs from Canada to southernmost South America, and is thus the most widely distributed bird in the Americas. It occurs in most suburban areas in its range and it is the single most common wren...
occurs widely in both tropical and temperate lowlands, but is frequently split into several species. Until recently, the hardy Winter Wren
Winter Wren
The Winter Wren is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with Troglodytes pacificus of western North America and Troglodytes troglodytes of Eurasia under the name Winter Wren.It breeds in coniferous forests from British...
was believed to have a wide distribution in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, but it has recently been split into three species, of which the Eurasian Wren
Eurasian Wren
The Eurasian Wren , is a very small bird, and the only member of the wren family Troglodytidae found in Eurasia. In Anglophone Europe it is commonly known simply as the Wren...
is the only wren of any genus found outside the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. The Cobb's Wren
Cobb's Wren
Cobb's Wren is a fairly small wren which is endemic to the Falkland Islands. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the House Wren but is now commonly considered to be a separate species due to differences in plumage, voice, ecology and morphology.-Description:The plumage is brown, greyer...
of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
is another species which tolerates harsh conditions well.
Like other wrens, they are elusive as they hunt for small 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...
s and spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, but they readily reveal their positions through their loud songs.
These are territorial birds, but the tiny Winter Wren will roost communally in a cavity in cold weather to help conserve heat.
Systematics and species
The closest living relatives of this genus are possibly the Timberline WrenTimberline Wren
The Timberline Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Thryorchilus. It is found in Costa Rica and western Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27...
and the Cistothorus
Cistothorus
Cistothorus is a genus of birds in the Troglodytidae family. It contains the following species:* Apolinar's Wren, Cistothorus apolinari* Mérida Wren, Cistothorus meridae* Marsh Wren or Long-billed Marsh Wren, Cistothorus palustris...
species rather than the Henicorhina
Henicorhina
Henicorhina is the wood-wren genus; these are birds in the family Troglodytidae. It contains the following species:* Bar-winged Wood-wren, Henicorhina leucoptera* Grey-breasted Wood-wren, Henicorhina leucophrys...
wood-wrens as is sometimes proposed.
A number of the Troglodytes species, such as the Clarion Wren, were formerly considered subspecies of the House Wren, and it has been argued that at least the tropical forms of the House Wren should be further split as the Southern House Wren, Troglodytes musculus. The Socorro Wren, in older times placed into Thryomanes (Bewick's Wren
Bewick's Wren
The Bewick's Wren is a wren native to North America. At about 14 cm long, it is grey-brown above, white below, with a long white eyebrow. While similar in appearance to the Carolina Wren, it has a long tail that is tipped in white. The song is loud and melodious, much like the song of other...
), is actually a close relative of the House Wren complex, as indicated by "manners, song, plumage, etc" and by biogeography
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
and mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase
NADH dehydrogenase
NADH dehydrogenase is an enzyme located in the inner mitochondrial membrane that catalyzes the transfer of electrons from NADH to coenzyme Q...
subunit
Protein subunit
In structural biology, a protein subunit or subunit protein is a single protein molecule that assembles with other protein molecules to form a protein complex: a multimeric or oligomeric protein. Many naturally occurring proteins and enzymes are multimeric...
2 sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
analysis.
The Winter Wren is less closely related to the other members of the genus, and is occasionally split as the monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Nannus. It might actually be closely related to Cistothorus, but again, the molecular data is insufficient to properly resolve this issue.
Species
- House WrenHouse WrenThe House Wren, Troglodytes aedon, is a very small songbird of the wren family, Troglodytidae. It occurs from Canada to southernmost South America, and is thus the most widely distributed bird in the Americas. It occurs in most suburban areas in its range and it is the single most common wren...
, Troglodytes aedon – taxonomy needs revision- Northern House Wren, Troglodytes (aedon) aedon group
- Brown-throated WrenBrown-throated WrenThe Brown-throated Wren is a mostly Mexican bird in the wren family, often considered a subspecies of the House Wren.-Range and habitat:...
, Troglodytes (aedon) brunneicollis group - Southern House Wren, Troglodytes (aedon) musculus group
- Cozumel Wren, Troglodytes (aedon) beani
- Guadeloupe Wren, Troglodytes aedon guadeloupensis – taxonomic status unresolved; possibly extinct (late 20th century)
- Martinique Wren, Troglodytes aedon martinicensis – taxonomic status unresolved; possibly extinct (c.1890)
- Clarion WrenClarión WrenThe Clarión Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Clarión Island off Pacific Mexico....
, Troglodytes tanneri – formerly included in T. aedon - Socorro WrenSocorro WrenThe Socorro Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Socorro Island, Mexico. It was formerly placed in Thryomanes but was moved to Troglodytes considering "manners, song, plumage, etc." and by biogeography and mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 sequence analysis.Its...
, Troglodytes sissonii – formerly included in T. aedon - Cobb's WrenCobb's WrenCobb's Wren is a fairly small wren which is endemic to the Falkland Islands. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the House Wren but is now commonly considered to be a separate species due to differences in plumage, voice, ecology and morphology.-Description:The plumage is brown, greyer...
, Troglodytes cobbi – formerly included in T. aedon - Rufous-browed WrenRufous-browed WrenThe Rufous-browed Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
, Troglodytes rufociliatus - Tepui WrenTepui WrenThe Tepui Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. Its natural habitat is forest edge and shrubbery on tepuis, subtropical or tropical moist mountains of south-eastern Venezuela and adjacent parts of Guyana and Brazil.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27...
, Troglodytes rufulus - Mountain WrenMountain WrenThe Mountain Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is found in the Andes or north-west Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and western Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
, Troglodytes solstitialis - Ochraceous WrenOchraceous WrenThe Ochraceous Wren, Troglodytes ochraceus, is a small songbird of the wren family. It is an endemic resident breeding species in Costa Rica and eastern Panama...
, Troglodytes ochraceus - Santa Marta WrenSanta Marta WrenThe Santa Marta Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Colombia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, Troglodytes monticola
In early 2010, the American Ornithologist's Union voted to split the species formerly known as Winter Wren
Winter Wren
The Winter Wren is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with Troglodytes pacificus of western North America and Troglodytes troglodytes of Eurasia under the name Winter Wren.It breeds in coniferous forests from British...
into three separate species, as follows
- Winter WrenWinter WrenThe Winter Wren is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with Troglodytes pacificus of western North America and Troglodytes troglodytes of Eurasia under the name Winter Wren.It breeds in coniferous forests from British...
, Troglodytes hiemalis - Pacific WrenPacific WrenThe Pacific Wren is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae...
, Troglodytes pacificus - Eurasian WrenEurasian WrenThe Eurasian Wren , is a very small bird, and the only member of the wren family Troglodytidae found in Eurasia. In Anglophone Europe it is commonly known simply as the Wren...
, Troglodytes troglodytes- Daito Winter WrenDaito Winter WrenThe Daito Winter Wren is a controversial subspecies of the Winter Wren. It is known only by the type specimen, a male collected in 1938 on Minami Daitō-jima, the main island of the Daito Archipelago east of Okinawa...
, Troglodytes troglodytes orii – validity doubtful; extinct (c.1940)
- Daito Winter Wren
Even with the help of the most recent molecular data the relationships of the species could not be fully resolved however. There appear to be 2 clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
s, one comprising the house wren group and another containing Central and South American species. The relationships of the Rufous-browed
Rufous-browed Wren
The Rufous-browed Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
and Brown-throated Wren
Brown-throated Wren
The Brown-throated Wren is a mostly Mexican bird in the wren family, often considered a subspecies of the House Wren.-Range and habitat:...
s are indeterminable with the present molecular data; they appear fairly basal
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
and the former might be closer to the house wren group than the latter. The Santa Marta Wren
Santa Marta Wren
The Santa Marta Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is endemic to Colombia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
is quite enigmatic and little-studied.