A small grayish-brown wren of dry rocky habitats. Doesn't need to drink — extracts water from food. Builds nests in rock crevices.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The rock wren is a small songbird of the wren family native to the rocky areas of western North America. There are 8 subspecies of the rock wren, one of which is extinct. They are similar in size to other wrens, with a grey-brown coat, a brown rump, and a speckled white throat.
Source: Wikipedia — Rock wren Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Pale gray-brown wren finely speckled above, with a buffy wash on the rear flanks, a faint pale eyebrow, and cinnamon corners to the tail.
Similar species. Canyon Wren has a bright white bib and rusty belly; the Rock Wren is paler and grayer with a buff (not white) breast and bobs frequently.
Voice. A varied, buzzy, repetitive song of trills and 'tee-keer' phrases, each repeated several times; a ringing 'tick-eer' call.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects and spiders gleaned from vegetation.
Behavior. A wren of arid rocky slopes, talus, and badlands that bobs up and down on its legs and famously paves the entrance to its nest crevice with small stones.
§ Range
Western US deserts and mountains
§ Habitat
Arid rocky areas — talus, canyon walls, lava flows
§ Threats
Habitat loss to development, climate change.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the rock wren is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support desert protection. Maintain native habitats.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Rock wren
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Salpinctes obsoletus
- IUCN Red List — search for Salpinctes obsoletus
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Salpinctes obsoletus
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
