Field Guide to Birds of North America
Rock Wren
General
Rock Wren: Medium-sized wren with white-speckled gray upperparts, brown rump, white-over-black eye-lines, white throat and breast with fine gray streaks, and buff-yellow flanks and belly. Tail is long, buff-and-black barred, and has pale tip; undertail coverts are white with black bars. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has fewer streaks on breast.
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.
Listen to Call
Voice Text
"keree-keree-keree, chair, chair, chair, deedle, deedle, deedle, tur, tur, tur, keree", "tic-keer"
Interesting Facts
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.
It usually builds a walkway of small pebbles that leads to the nest cavity. The function of this pavement is unknown.
It is not known to drink water, but instead gets all it needs from its food.
A group of wrens has many collective nouns, including a "chime", "flight", "flock", and "herd" of wrens.
Author
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Family
Wren (Troglodytidae)_blue
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Species
Salpinctes obsoletus
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Length5 - 6
Inches
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Wingspan9
Inches
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Rock Wren
Rock Wren: Medium wren with white-speckled gray upperparts, brown rump, white-over-black eye-lines, 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.
● Song: "keree-keree-keree, chair, chair, chair, deedle, deedle, deedle, tur, tur, tur, keree", "tic-keer"
● Foraging & Feeding: Rock Wren Breeding Male: Eats insects and spiders; forages for food around and between rocks.
● Breeding & nesting: Rock Wren: Four to ten white eggs flecked with red brown are laid in a nest made of sticks, leaves, moss, and finer materials, lined with feathers and fur, and hidden in a cavity or crevice, sometimes in a building. Incubation ranges from 12 to 18 days and is carried out by the female.
● Similar species: Rock Wren: Canyon Wren is much darker, with white throat, rufous-and-black tail, and different voice.
Flight Pattern
Weak fluttering direct flights, often short, on shallowly beating wings.
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BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
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PopulationFairly common
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MigrationMigratory
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Weight0.6
Ounces
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