Isthmian Wren

Overview

The isthmian wren, Cantorchilus elutus, is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae found in Costa Rica and Panama. It was historically grouped with Cabanis's wren and the canebrake wren as the plain wren before being split into a distinct species in 2016 based on vocal and genetic differences.

Identification

• Length of 12.5 to 14 cm with a gray-brown crown and back, and a pale russet rump.
• Russet brown tail with darker bars, a thin white supercilium, and a gray-brown stripe through the eye.
• Throat is white with a pale grayish chest, grayish white belly, and buffy cinnamon sides.
• Song consists of a loud motif of three to four clear whistles, accompanied by harsh 'chur' calls and tinkling 'chi-chi-chi' notes.

Habitat

Located on the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and most of the width of Panama, ranging from sea level to approximately 2,000 m. It inhabits humid areas such as forest edges, second growth, and gardens, while shunning dense wet forest.

Diet

Usually forages in pairs in low dense vegetation, though it occasionally hunts higher in trees. Its diet is assumed to be mostly arthropods and other small invertebrates, though specific details are not well documented.

Did you know?

The species constructs 'dormitory' nests specifically for roosting in addition to its breeding nests. Breeding nests are roughly football-shaped with a side entrance and are placed within three metres of the ground in dense vegetation.