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Rock Wren

Salpinctes obsoletusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Wrens (Troglodytidae)

Breeding Location:

Mountains, Rocky cliffs



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester



Breeding Population:

Fairly common



Egg Color:

White with red brown flecks



Number of Eggs:

4 - 10



Incubation Days:

12 - 14



Egg Incubator:

Female



Nest Material:

Rootlets, grasses, stems., Lined with feathers, hair and fur.



Migration:

Migratory



Splitbar

Overview

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.

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.

Breeding and 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.

Foraging and Feeding

Rock Wren Breeding Male: Eats insects and spiders; forages for food around and between rocks.

Readily Eats

Apple Slices, Peanut Butter

Vocalization

Rock Wren: Song is a mix of buzzing trills "keree-keree-keree, chair, chair, chair, deedle, deedle, deedle, tur, tur, tur, keree." Call is a raspy "tic-keer."

Similar Species

Rock Wren: Canyon Wren is much darker, with white throat, rufous-and-black tail, and different voice.

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Family Wren (Troglodytidae)_blue
Species Salpinctes obsoletus
Length5 - 6 Inches
Wingspan9 Inches

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.
Rock Wren Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & 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.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationFairly common
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.6 Ounces