Grey-barred Wren

Overview

The grey-barred wren, Campylorhynchus megalopterus, is a species of bird endemic to Mexico. It is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, as it is common in many areas of suitable habitat and appears able to tolerate some modification of its environment.

Identification

• Adult plumage features a greyish crown with a black centre, a black and white striped nape, and black shoulders and back barred with white.
• The throat and chest are white with black spots, while the flanks are buff with blackish bars.
• Subspecies C. m. nelsoni is smaller and has greyish-brown spots and bars on the underparts instead of black.
• Juveniles possess a solid brown cap and are buff and brownish overall, lacking the barred back and spotted chest of adults.

Habitat

This species inhabits several types of montane forest, including humid pine-oak and stands of Abies fir, at elevations between 2,100 and 3,150 m. The two subspecies have non-overlapping ranges; the nominate is found in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt from Jalisco and Michoacán east to western Puebla, while C. m. nelsoni occupies the southern Sierra Madre Oriental from west-central Veracruz through eastern Puebla into northern Oaxaca.

Diet

Although its diet has not been formally documented, it is presumed to consist of small invertebrates. The bird does not forage on the ground but instead probes epiphytes, mosses, and lichens.

Did you know?

The species sings in duet, producing a rapid, harsh chatter, and is accompanied by a call described as a harsh 'karrr'.