Canyon Wren (CANW) Catherpes Mexicanus

Canyon Wren (CANW) Catherpes mexicanus

Characteristics Habitat

➔ Small songbird with long, thin curved bill, ➔ Likely seen in steep inland areas, like white throat, brown speckled breast and cliffs and canyons belly, grey speckled backside, and ➔ Prefers dry environment reddish barred tail ➔ Nests in holes, small caves, and ➔ Juveniles seen Apr-Aug have little to no crevices on rocky slopes speckling ➔ Mostly found below 6,000 ft elevation ➔ No sexual dimorphism ➔ Upper limit is 9,850 ft elevation ➔ Length:14.61cm ➔ Weight: 10.5g ➔ Wingspan:19.05cm

Behavior & How to Find

➔ Often heard before seen. ➔ Males are territorial and will sing to defend nests ➔ Loud, musical, descending song ➔ Very elusive and can be hard to see ➔ If heard, sit quietly and wait. This bird will ©R.C. Clark: Dancing Snake Nature Photography usually hop back out onto the rocks to https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0e/fc/b8/0efcb819c6355435dd sing again 81e2059379134b.jpg Canyon Wren feeding its chicks. Canyon Wren (CANW) Catherpes mexicanus

Diet Range

➔ Eats mostly spiders and insects like moths, wasps, and grasshoppers ➔ Mainly forages along rocky surfaces, but sometimes finds food in shrubs, or catches insects in flight ➔ The Canyon Wren’s long beak makes it easy for it to probe for insects in tight crevices

Zzyzx-Specific Information

➔ Canyon Wrens are year-round residents of Zzyzx and the Mojave Desert ➔ Can be found in the narrow canyon-like regions of alluvial fans, and above the bajadas ➔ Range throughout western North America, from southern Canada to southern Mexico. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canyon_Wren/overview Conservation Status

➔ IUCN lists this species as “of least concern” ➔ Population is declining ➔ Main threat is habitat loss through alteration and destruction by rock-climbers

Did you know?!

➔ Canyon Wrens are not believed to drink water directly. Instead, they get all the moisture they need from

ingesting insect prey © Dave Leatherman: Boulder County Nature Association ➔ Canyon Wrens sometimes steal their http://www.bcna.org/2015winspclasses.html meals by snatching up insects caught A Canyon Wren eating a Crane Fly. in spider webs Canyon Wren Sources

Picture 1: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/62347981

Picture 2: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/64162681

Characteristics: https://www.birdzilla.com/birds/canyon-wren/description.html &

“Canyon Wren.” Sibley Birds West: Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, by David A. Sibley, 2nd ed., Alfren A. Knopf, 2016, pp. 326.

Habitat: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canyon_Wren/lifehistory#habitat

Behavior: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/canyon-wren

Picture 3: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0e/fc/b8/0efcb819c6355435dd81e2059379134b.jpg

Status: BirdLife International 2016. Catherpes mexicanus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22711335A94289723. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22711335A94289723.en. Downloaded on 10 April 2020.

Map: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canyon_Wren/overview

Range: http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-canyon-wren.html

Zzyzx info: http://biology.fullerton.edu/dsc/biology/birds.html &

Bill Hoese, pers. comm., Apr 12, 2020

Did you Know: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canyon_Wren/overview

Picture 4: http://www.bcna.org/2015winspclasses.html

Compiled by Rachael Lyons