Wrentit

Overview

The wrentit (Chamaea fasciata) is a small bird belonging to the parrotbill family, Paradoxornithidae, and is the only member of its genus. It is a sedentary resident of the western coast of North America, known for its elusive nature and loud call.

Identification

• Uniform dull olive, brown, or grayish plumage with a size of 14–16 cm (5.5–6.3 in).
• Features short wings, a long tail often held high, a short bill, and a pale iris.
• Often detected by its distinct call, which resembles the sound of a ping-pong ball falling on a table.

Habitat

Inhabits chaparral, oak woodlands, and bushland along a narrow strip of the western coast of North America, ranging from Oregon through California to northern Baja California. It is a sedentary species that nests in shrubs such as poison oak, coyote bush, and California blackberry.

Diet

Feeds by skulking through dense scrub to glean exposed insects found by sight. Its diet consists primarily of beetles, caterpillars, bugs, and ants, with occasional small berries and seeds.

Did you know?

Wrentits are monogamous, forming pair bonds just a few months after hatching and defending their territory year-round. Both sexes participate in building the nest, a four-stage process that takes approximately two weeks.