Wrentit

Wrentit

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A common bird of the Pacific Coast chaparral, the Wrentit can be difficult to see as it skulks through the dense scrub. It is the only American representative of the mostly Asian family of babblers (Timaliidae).

Description

• Small songbird.
• Dull, grayish brown.
• Long tail.
• White eyes.
• Small bill.

• Size: 14-15 cm (6-6 in)
• Weight: 13-16 g (0.46-0.56 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike, male slightly larger.

Sound

Song a series of sharp whistled "pit" notes, repeated on the same pitch and occurring more rapidly, followed by descending trill. Call a rattling "churr."

Conservation Status

Common, but development of scrub can cause local extinctions.

Other Names

Cama brune (French)
Camea (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Wrentit used to be considered the sole member of the family Chamaeidae, but genetic studies show that it is the only American representative of the large Old World family of babblers, Timaliidae.
• Wrentit pairs mate for life, and may be together for more than 12 years. Both sexes incubate and sing to defend the territory.

• The Wrentit may be the most sedentary bird species in north America, with an average dispersal distance from natal nest to breeding spot of about 400 m (1300 ft).

• Wrentits along the coast and in the more humid areas of the north tend to be darker than individuals living in drier and more interior parts of the range.

Sources used to construct this page:

Geupel, G. R., and G. Ballard. 2002. Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata). In The Birds of North America, No. 654 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.