About the Rock Wren
The rock wren is a small songbird of the wren family native to the rocky areas of western North America. There are 8 subspecies of the rock wren, one of which is extinct. They are similar in size to other wrens, with a grey-brown coat, a brown rump, and a speckled white throat. They are visually similar to the canyon wren, which they share a habitat with. They are noted for their variable song and song pattern, used for territory defense, as well as their habit of building "pavements" with flat rocks around their nest to help nestlings stay dry. Rock wrens are serially monogamous, forming pairs for nesting season. Nestbuilding usually begins in March, usually in crevices, and the first brood are laid late April to June, with a possible second brood later in June. They are largely terrestrial foragers, rarely flying. Their diet consists of insects, mostly weevils, during the spring and summer, shifting to grain during autumn and winter. Though they are a least-concern species, their population size has declined by 13% from 2010 to 2020.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Passeriformes |
| Family | Wrens (Troglodytidae) |
| Species | Salpinctes obsoletus |
| Species Codes | rocwre, ROWR, ARWR |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Rock Wren belong to?
The Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) belongs to the Wrens family (Troglodytidae), in the order Passeriformes.
How can I identify the Rock Wren?
The rock wren is a small songbird of the wren family native to the rocky areas of western North America. There are 8 subspecies of the rock wren, one of which is extinct. They are similar in size to other wrens, with a grey-brown coat, a brown rump, and a speckled white throat. They are visually sim...
Where can I report a Rock Wren sighting?
You can log sightings of Rock Wren on eBird (ebird.org) using species code rocwre, or on iNaturalist.