Hermit Wood Wren

Overview

The hermit wood wren, or Santa Marta wood wren, is a small bird in the family Troglodytidae that is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia. It is currently assessed as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to its restricted range and decreasing population.

Identification

• Approximately 10 to 11 cm long with olive-brown crown and nape.
• Upperparts are sooty or rusty brown, with whitish gray throat, medium gray breast, and russet flanks.
• Far more easily heard than seen; song has a higher frequency and greater range than the grey-breasted wood wren.

Habitat

Found exclusively in the isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range in northern Colombia. It inhabits humid montane forest between 2,000 and 4,000 m of elevation and tolerates some habitat disturbance.

Diet

Feeds solely on invertebrates, foraging singly or in small groups from the ground up to 2 m in vegetation. Unlike the grey-breasted wood wren, it does not follow army ant swarms.

Did you know?

The bird was elevated to full species status in 2016 to avoid confusion with the Santa Marta wren, which is a completely different bird.