Moustached Wren
Pheugopedius genibarbis
Fairly large wren with a long tail. Note the black-and-white streaks on the face contrasting with the brown crown, cinnamon upperparts, and buff belly. The wings and tail have dark bars. Found in the thick vine-tangled understory of humid forest and forest edges, where it usually noisy, but difficult to see. The song, usually delivered as a duet, is melodic and far carrying; the call is a harsh “tje-tje.”
Identification
The moustached wren is 15.5 cm (6.1 in) long and weighs 16.2 to 22.8 g (0.57 to 0.80 oz). The nominate adult has an olivaceous gray-brown crown and nape, bright chestnut back and rump, and a dull brown tail with narrow blackish bars. It has a white supercilium and eyering, a black stripe through the eye, gray-black cheeks streaked with white, a white moustachial stripe, and a black malar stripe. Its throat and upper chest are white, its lower chest buffy, and its flanks and belly deeper brown. Compared to the adult, the juvenile's crown is browner, its back duller and less deeply chestnut, and it has less well defined facial markings and more diffuse bars on the tail.<p>P. g. juruanus is larger than the nominate and its underparts are paler. P. g. intercedens' crown is less sooty and its underparts are duller than the nominate's. P. g. bolivianus is similar to intercedens but its underparts are a deeper ochre compared to the nominate's buff and it has more gray on the face.
Taxonomy
The moustached wren was at one time treated as conspecific with the whiskered wren (Pheugopedius mystaclais). It has four subspecies:
- Scientific name
- Pheugopedius genibarbis
- Authority
- (Swainson, 1838)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Troglodytidae
- Genus
- Pheugopedius
Range and habitat
The moustached wren is found throughout the central and southern Amazon Basin. The subspecies are distributed thus:<p>It inhabits forest edge, including along rivers, and favors dense stands of Bambusa bamboo. In elevation it ranges as high as 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in Bolivia but generally only from sea level to middle elevations.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The moustached wren forages low in vegetation and often in pairs. Though its diet has not been documented, it is probably mostly or entirely invertebrates.<p>Four nests of the moustached wren found in Peru's Manu National Park were domed or ball-like with a side entrance. They were all found with four eggs, in September and October. One adult incubated the eggs; it was assumed to be the female. Nothing else is known about the species' breeding phenology.<p>Both sexes of moustached wren sing "a series of fast rollicking phrases" [1]. Their call is "a whining 'jeeyr'" [2].
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Southern Hyliota
Hyliota australis
Mid-sized, generic-looking warbler-like bird. Males have a matte black back, a white wing patch, and very pale yellowish underparts. Females are similar, but browner on the back. Found mainly in broadleaf savanna, and locally in humid forest. Usually in pairs or small groups, which will join mixed-species feeding flocks. The quiet vocalizations include chatty calls and trills. Very similar to Yellow-bellied Hyliota. In most of the range, Southern males distinguished by the smaller white patch on the wing, and females by their browner upperparts. In Uganda and Kenya, males are extremely similar, but Southern can still be recognized by its non-glossy black back.
Violaceous Jay
Cyanocorax violaceus
Large, dark jay with vibrant blue plumage and a black head and bib. Frequents a variety of open habitats, including forest edges, gardens, and agricultural areas. Often particularly common in vegetation along rivers and other waterways. Distinguished from similar Purplish Jay by its brighter blue plumage and contrasting pale nape. Also listen for a high-pitched, piercing “jeer.”
Pale Prinia
Prinia somalica
A very pale, slim, long-tailed warbler of dry country. Pale gray-brown on the upperparts and white below, though immatures can show a buff wash. The tail is frequently cocked up. Found in dry thorn savanna and thornscrub, usually in pairs. Similar in appearance to Tawny-flanked Prinia, but found in drier habitat, and is paler and grayer on the back with no rufous on the flanks. The main vocalization is a series of dry, high-pitched “zhep” notes delivered in fast succession, similar to the song of Tawny-flanked Prinia, but faster and higher-pitched.
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