A small wren of sedge meadow habitats.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The sedge wren is a small and secretive passerine bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is widely distributed in North America. It is often found in wet grasslands and meadows where it nests in the tall grasses and sedges and feeds on insects. The sedge wren was formerly considered as conspecific with the non-migratory grass wren of central and South America.
Source: Wikipedia — Sedge wren Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Small buffy wren with a finely streaked crown and back, a faint pale eyebrow, and warm buff underparts; shorter-billed than Marsh Wren.
Similar species. Marsh Wren has a bold white eyebrow and a plain crown and lives in tall cattails; Sedge Wren is buffier with a streaked crown in shorter wet grass.
Voice. A dry, staccato chatter that starts with a few sharp 'chap' notes and runs into a trill.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects and spiders gleaned from vegetation.
Behavior. An elusive, nomadic wren of wet sedge meadows and grassy marsh edges; unpredictable in occurrence and prone to shifting nesting areas within a season.
§ Range
Across North America
§ Habitat
Wet sedge meadows
§ Threats
Wetland loss.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the sedge wren is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support sedge meadow conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Sedge wren
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Cistothorus stellaris
- IUCN Red List — search for Cistothorus stellaris
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Cistothorus stellaris
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
