Merida Wren
Cistothorus meridae
Small, barred wren of the high paramo. Eyebrow whitish; upperparts, flanks, wings, and tail barred. Back with contrasting white stripes, and underparts pale and plain. Sexes similar. Often hard to see but locally common, found alone or in pairs in high paramo, especially in damper areas. Often singing on top of vegetation. Minimal overlap with Sedge Wren, which is less barred and has buffier and fainter eyebrow. Endemic to the Andes of Venezuela.
Identification
The Mérida wren is 10 cm (3.9 in) long. Adults have a medium brown crown and nape with darker brown streaks, blackish brown shoulders and upper back with off-white streaks, and a blackish and brown streaked rump. Their tail is medium brown with crisp black bars. They have an off-white supercilium that is wider to the rear, cheeks mottled with brown, and off-white chin and throat. Their chest is buffy and the flanks a darker buff.
Taxonomy
The Mérida wren is monotypic. Apolinar's wren (C. apolinari), grass wren (C. platensis), and it form a superspecies.
- Scientific name
- Cistothorus meridae
- Authority
- Hellmayr, 1907
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Troglodytidae
- Genus
- Cistothorus
Range and habitat
The Mérida wren is found in the Andes of Venezuela from Trujillo south to northeastern Táchira. It inhabits wet páramo with scattered bushes at elevations between 3,000 and 4,100 m (9,800 and 13,500 ft). It is mostly sedentary but may move altitudinally and is thought to leave some areas during the rainy season.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Mérida wren forages low in the vegetation for arthropods; no details have been published.<p>Very little is known about the Mérida wren's breeding phenology. It is polygamous and uses "dormitory" nests for roosting but not breeding.<p>The male Mérida wren has a repertoire of 20 to 25 songs that vary geographically and even among individuals in a region. Some examples are [1], [2], and [3].
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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