Song Wren
Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus
Chunky short-tailed wren with long bill. Pale blue skin around eye is distinctive among wrens in range but compare with various antbirds. Note rufous throat and cheek and black barring on wings. Usually found in pairs or small groups. Always close to the ground in forested areas. Heard more often than seen; listen for unique combination of deep whistles and harsher clucking notes.
Identification
The song wren is 11.5 to 12.5 cm (4.5 to 4.9 in) long and weighs 25 to 26 g (0.88 to 0.92 oz). Its body is nearly uniformly brown, though sometimes paler on the breast. It has a chestnut throat and black bars on the wings and its very short tail. It has a patch of bare blue skin around the eye. The subspecies have some variations in color and intensity, and extensive descriptive details can be found in Pollock and Agin (2020).
Taxonomy
At one time the song wren and the musician wren (Cyphorhinus arada) were considered conspecific. They, and possibly chestnut-breasted wren (C. thoracicus), form a superspecies. <p>The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and BirdLife International (BLI) recognize the six subspecies listed below. The Clements taxonomy does not recognize C. p. chocoanus.
- Scientific name
- Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus
- Authority
- Sclater, PL, 1860
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Troglodytidae
- Genus
- Cyphorhinus
Range and habitat
The subspecies of song wren are distributed thus:<p>The song wren inhabits the interiors of lowland primary and secondary forest, especially those with much undergrowth. It shuns dry landscapes and well lighted areas.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The song wren forages almost exclusively on the forest floor, tossing and probing leaf litter. It is usually seen in pairs or small family groups. In the only detailed study of its diet, almost half of the prey was spiders with other small invertebrates making up most of the rest.<p>The song wren constructs both dormitory nests for roosting and breeding nests. Both are gourd-shaped and constructed mostly of rootlets, strips of palm frond, and small twigs lined with leaf skeletons. Breeding nests have a well-defined cup that is sometimes lined with small feathers. Nests are constructed and maintained almost year-round. Breeding nests are placed in understory trees, often Acacia trees that also host Pseudomyrmex ants. The female alone incubates the eggs and broods the young.<p>The song wren's song has been described as "clear, melodious whistles superimposed on harsh, henlike clucking". Both sexes sing year round to defend a territory. Variations in song between the sexes and in different parts of the range have been noted but not systematically studied.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Supertramp Fantail
Rhipidura semicollaris
Small island specialist; a "classic" fantail, with long, pale-tipped tail and slim bill. Plumage extremely geographically variable, and likely involves multiple species. Most populations have some rufous on the back and rump, but birds on small islands off of western Papua and parts of the Banda Sea are entirely brown above. Note black mask in most populations, and a black necklace with a variable amount of additional black spotting on the chest. Frequently cocks and fans tail. Actively forages near the ground in areas with dense vegetation, including mangroves. Previously considered the same species as Rufous Fantail, and more recently, Arafura Fantail.
Keel-billed Motmot
Electron carinatum
Medium-sized forest-dweller that likes to sit motionless. Mostly dull green, slightly buffier below, with black mask and breast spot. Orange forehead and blue eyebrow and chin are distinctive. Most similar to larger Lesson’s Motmot; note smaller size and face pattern. Often found singly or in pairs inside forest, usually below canopy. Never common; quite inconspicuous and can be difficult to find within its limited range. Call very similar to Broad-billed Motmot.
Chocolate Boobook
Ninox randi
A medium-sized owl of lowland and foothill forest and edge. Dark brown on the upperparts and head, with white underparts thickly streaked with reddish-brown. Face grayish and eyes yellow. Occurs together with several other boobook species, but Chocolate is much larger, with plain brown wings and more demarcated streaking on the chest. Voice is also different: a series of identical, medium-pitched “boop!” notes.
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