Socorro Wren Troglodytes sissonii Scientific name definitions

The Socorro Wren is a small songbird endemic to Socorro Island in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico far out in the Pacific Ocean from the Baja peninsula. The common name in Spanish is "Chochín de la Socorro" or "Matraquita de Socorro," but in the late 1950’s the inhabitants of the island referred to it as "alacrenero," (or scorpion eater) due to its regular habit of feeding on scorpions. This wren, like other members of the genus Troglodytes, has monomorphic and inconspicuous plumage. The Socorro Wren spends most of its time in low strata, on tree trunks, or near the ground. Its song is highly variable, relatively simple in structure, and resembles other island taxa of Troglodytes wrens. A former member of the genus Thryomanes, this species has been the focus of taxonomic debates. Due to the limited access to the Island, several aspects of its behavior and breeding biology still are unknown. Although it is a very common bird on Socorro Island, the exact population size is unknown. This species is considered Near-Threatened by the International Union on the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due its restricted geographic range.