Rock Wren
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{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Rock Wren | image = RockWren23.jpg | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Aves | ordo = Passeriformes | familia = Troglodytidae | genus = Salpinctes | genus_authority = Cabanis, 1847 | species = S. obsoletus | binomial = Salpinctes obsoletus | binomial_authority = (Say, 1823) }}
The Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) is a small songbird of the wren family. It is the only species in the genus Salpinctes.
The 12 cm long adults have grey-brown upperparts with small black and white spots and pale grey underparts with a light brown rump. They have a light grey line over the eye, a long thin bill, a long barred tail and dark legs.
Their breeding habitat is dry rocky locations, including canyons, from southwestern Canada south to Costa Rica. This bird builds a cup nest in a crevice or cavity, usually among rocks.
These birds are permanent residents in the south of their range, but northern populations migrate to warmer areas from the central United States southwards. They occasionally wander into the eastern United States.
These birds forage on the ground, probing with their bill. They mainly eat insects and spiders.
This bird's song is a trill, becoming more varied during the nesting season.
References
- Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-0814-9600-4