Grey-mantled Wren

Overview

The grey-mantled wren (Odontorchilus branickii) is a small bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found across parts of South America, including Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The species is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, although it is often considered uncommon.

Identification

• Length of 12 to 13 cm with a weight ranging from 9.0 g to 10.2 g.
• Tawny forecrown and darker brown crown that merges into a gray back, which becomes browner on the rump.
• Medium gray tail featuring prominent black bars and a white bar near the end.
• White throat, breast, and belly with a slight buff tinge, alongside a faint grayish brown supercilium.
• Vocalises with a short dry trill or a series of whistled notes.

Habitat

The nominate subspecies has a discontinuous range in the southern Eastern Andes of Colombia and on the eastern slope of the main Andes through Ecuador, Peru, and into Bolivia's La Paz Department. The O. b. minor subspecies is found on the west slope of Colombia's Western Andes and in far northern Ecuador. The species inhabits the canopy and sub-canopy of humid montane forest at varying elevations depending on location.

Diet

The species is insectivorous, foraging 15 to 30 m up in the canopy by constantly moving along branches to probe moss and lichens for prey. It usually forages as part of a mixed-species flock.

Did you know?

The grey-mantled wren shares its genus with the tooth-billed wren, and some authors suggest that the two are conspecific or form a superspecies. Although its nest and eggs have not been documented, it is thought to nest in tree cavities based on the behaviour of its relative.