Timberline Wren
Thryorchilus browni
Very small, short-tailed wren. Rufous above and dirty grayish below with bold white eyebrow. Most similar to wood-wrens but note white markings on wing feathers. Stays low in dense undergrowth of montane second growth and edges from 2200m to treeline, especially around bamboo. Listen for high-pitched tinkling song and harsher scold calls.
Identification
The timberline wren is 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weighs 14 g (0.49 oz). The adult of the nominate subspecies has rich chestnut brown crown and upperparts and a reddish brown tail with thin dark bars. It has a broad gray-white supercilium, a chocolate brown stripe behind the eye, and grayish cheeks with narrow black markings. Its throat and chest are grayish white, its upper belly a mottled grayish white, its lower belly brown, and its flanks and vent area reddish brown. The juvenile is grayer below with a scalloped appearance. T. b. ridgwayi is larger than the nominate and has deeper reddish brown upperparts. T. b. basultoi has a wider supercilium, whitish markings on the upperparts and the sides of its neck, and has whiter underparts.
Taxonomy
The timberline wren is the only member of genus Thryorchilus, but its taxonomy at the subspecies level is unsettled. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) considers it to be monotypic. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Birds of the World lists three subspecies, but notes that this treatment is disputed and that timberline wren should be "perhaps better considered monotypic." The Clements taxonomy and the Handbook of Birds of the World list the same three subspecies without comment. <p>The three disputed subspecies are the nominate Thryorchilus browni browni, T. b. ridgwayi, and T. b. basultoi.
- Scientific name
- Thryorchilus browni
- Authority
- (Bangs, 1902)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Troglodytidae
- Genus
- Thryorchilus
Range and habitat
The timberline wren's range is disjunct, and spans from central Costa Rica south to northern Panama. T. b. ridgwayi is found on Volcán Turrialba, Volcán Irazú, and adjacent areas in central Costa Rica. T. b. basultoi is found in the Cordillera de Dota of south central Costa Rica. The nominate T. b. browni is found on Volcán Barú, Volcán de Chiriquí, and Cerro Copete in western Panama.<p>The timberline wren inhabits páramo and near-páramo moorland at the upper edge of tree line, and is partial to bamboo thickets. In elevation it mostly ranges between 2,800 and 3,600 m (9,200 and 11,800 ft) but can be found as low as 2,200 m (7,200 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The timberline wren typically forages on or near the ground, sometimes fluttering to pick prey from leaves and creeping along mossy branches. Its diet includes small insects, caterpillars, and spiders.<p>The timberline wren's breeding season in Costa Rica spans from April to June. Its nest is a hollow ball constructed of bamboo leaves lined with finer material. It has a side entrance and is placed 1 to 3 m (3.3 to 9.8 ft) up in bamboo or a shrub. The typical clutch size is two.<p>The timberline wren's song is quite different from that of any Troglodytes wren; it is a repeated "series of half a dozen scratchy, warbling notes, lasting 2–3 seconds". Its call is "a harsh scolding 'churr'".
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Desert Sparrow
Passer simplex
Small, delicate pallid sparrow. Male has pale gray upperparts, a black bib, black lines in front of the eyes (lores), sandy underparts, and large white wing patches. Female is pale sandy overall with paler underparts. Found in sandy arid habitats, desert scrub, plantations, oases, and tamarisk scrub. Call is a rather deep "churp."
Wood Lark
Lullula arborea
Brown and streaky with a short bushy crest; black-and-white mark at bend of wing diagnostic but difficult to see. Rather chunky, and shorter tailed than Eurasian Skylark. White tail corners evident in flight but lacks Skylark’s white outer tail feathers and white trailing edge to wings. Inhabits sandy heathland, old farmland, and clearings in mixed and coniferous woodland. Inconspicuous, rather shy, and easily overlooked, often not seen until flushed up from the ground. Like many larks, often best detected by voice: listen for its lovely song, an accelerating series of fluid notes. Call is a short and musical “tu’lee” or “tu’li’lee.”
Tawny-bellied Hermit
Phaethornis syrmatophorus
Large forest hummingbird with long decurved bill and long tail. Rich buffy belly and rump, obvious pale eyebrow and mustache stripe. Elongated central tail feathers with white tips, like many other large hermits. Found in subtropical forest understory in the Andes from Colombia to northern Peru, usually from 1,500–2,300 m. Higher elevation than other hermits. Usually flies by quickly in the dark forest understory uttering a piercing “tseet!” call, occasionally stopping to feed at flowers, especially Heliconia. Rarely visits feeders.
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