Rock Wren

Overview

Rock Wren: Medium wren with white-speckled gray upperparts, brown rump, white-over-black eye brow, white throat and breast with fine gray streaks, and buff-yellow flanks and belly. The long tail is buff-and-black barred, and has a pale tip; undertail coverts are white with black bars.

Range and Habitat

Rock Wren: Breeds from southern British Columbia to southern Saskatchewan, southward to California and Texas, and south to Central America. Spends winters in southern U.S. and southward. Frequents arid or semiarid areas with exposed rock; also alpine habitats.

INTERESTING FACTS

It is not known to drink water, but instead gets all it needs from its food.
It usually builds a walkway of small pebbles that leads to the nest cavity. The function of this pavement is unknown.
The male Rock Wren is a truly remarkable singer and can have a large song repertoire of 100 or more song types, many of which seem to be learned from neighbors.
A group of wrens has many collective nouns, including a "chime", "flight", "flock", and "herd" of wrens.

The Rock Wren is a small songbird, measuring only 12 cm in length. As a member of the wren family, this bird breeds in dry and rocky habitats such as canyons located from Canada to Costa Rica. Nests are cup-shaped and built in a crevice among its preferred rocks. Northern populations will fly south to the central United States, southwest Canada, and South America in winter months. Southern populations are permanent residents. Food is hunted on the ground, and includes insects and spiders. The conservation status of the Rock Wren is currently Least Concern.