Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitialis)

Identification & Behavior: ~11 cm (4.5 in). The Mountain Wren has rufous-brown upperpart with the flight feathers barred with dusky. The tail is rufous-brown also barred with dusky.  The throat and breast are light rufous grading to pale towards the lower belly. It has a dusky stripe from behind the eye bordered by buffy. The broad buff superciliary is diagnostic. It forages in humid montane forest and scrub often in the company of mixed species flocks. It is similar to the House Wren but is distinguished by a smaller size and buff superciliary.

Status: The Mountain Wren is fairly common in humid montane forests of the east and west (Piura) slopes of the Andes at elevations ranging between 2000-3600 m. It also occurs in Co, Ec, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Cucarachero Montañes.

Sub-species: Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitialis solstitialis), P. L. Sclater, 1859.   extreme S Colombia S to NW Peru.
(Troglodytes solstitialis macrourus), Berlepsch and Stolzmann, 1902.  E slope of Peru S from San Martín.
(Troglodytes solstitialis frater), Sharpe, 1882.  extreme SE Peru (Puno) and Bolivia.

Meaning of Name: Troglodytes: Gr. trogle= cave and dutes= diver, to plunge. solstitialis: L. sol, solis= sun; solstitium, solstitialis= summer, of summer.

See more of the Family Troglodytidae