Canyon Wren, Catherpes mexicanus

Canyon Wren, Catherpes mexicanus conspersus. Photograph taken within the Reserva Monte Mojino, Alamos, Sonora, April 2018. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

Background and Identification

The Canyon Wren, Catherpes mexicanus conspersus, is one of three subspecies of Canyon Wren, all three being found in Mexico. They are a member of the Troglodytidae Family of Wrens which has eighty-six members in nineteen genera and is the only global species in the Catherpes Genus. They are primarily insectivorous consuming spiders and insects with their diets being supplemented on a limited basis by terrestrial invertebrates including ants, beetles, leafhoppers, and termites. They build nests in sheltered rock crevices where the females incubate the eggs and both sexes feed the young. Their nests are preyed upon by corvids, falcons, hawks, snakes, and squirrels. This species is very inconspicuous and often heard before they are seen. The Canyon Wren is one of the least studied species in North America, which is attributed to their remote habitat, and limited information about their behavioral patterns and biology has been documented. They are known in Mexico as Chivirín Barranqueño and Saltapared Risquera.

The Canyon Wren is small in stature and sexually monomorphic. Their head and back are grayish, their underparts are rusty brown with varying amounts of white spotting dorsally. Their lower face, throat, and upper breasts are white. Their belly is a chestnut color with black and white speckling. They have a bright rusty rufous tail barred with black. Their head is flattened, and their bills are long, slender, and decurved with a dull white mandible that transitions to gray terminally; their gape is yellow; their iris is brown, and their legs and feet are black to dark brown.

Habitat and Geographical Range

The Canyon Wren is normally non-migratory with some populations known to make seasonal vertical movements to higher elevations. This is called altitudinal migration. They are found within arid, steep-sided canyons, and rocky habitats on rocky cliffs or outcrops. Canyon Wrens rely on shading from canyon walls and rocks during the breeding season, and their frequent sightings in these areas are probably what led to their name.

Geographically, the Canyon Wren’s range extends from southern British Columbia and the western United States, through the deserts of the American Southwest, and into central Mexico. In Mexico, they are found south of Oaxaca and southwest Chiapas, but they are absent from the coastal regions along the central and southern Pacific and the entire coast regions adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico at elevations up to 3,000 m (9,900 feet).

Common Misidentifications

The Canyon Wren is easily confused with the Rock Wren, Salpinctes obsoletus. The Rock Wren is paler and has a grayish-brown back, dull white throat and finely streaked breasts transitioning to cinnamon to buff belly, flanks, and undertail coverts. The Canyon Wren and Rock Wren have overlapping geographical ranges.

Conservation Status

From a conservation perspective, the Canyon Wren is categorized by the IUCN as Least Concern with stable populations throughout their range. They are not often found near humans and therefore have not been heavily affected by human developments.