Spotted Wren Campylorhynchus gularis Scientific name definitions

Endemic to western and central Mexico, the Spotted Wren is characterized by its largely brown upperparts, barred tail, white supercilium, slightly buffy-colored underparts with some black spots on the sides, and obscure dark barring on the lower flanks. It inhabits woodland and rocky slopes, as well as more shrubby cover, at altitudes between 800 and 2500 m at least. This species was formerly considered to be conspecific with the rather similarly plumaged Boucard’s Wren (Campylorhynchus jocosus), but the latter is larger, and more extensively spotted on the underparts. These two species are allopatrically distributed, with Boucard’s Wren also being endemic to Mexico, but found to the south of the range of the present species.

Mexico, in two disjunct populations separated by unsuitable habitat: in W, from SE Sonora S to W México and W Morelos; in E, from S Nuevo León (2 Valdés-Peña, R.A., Ortiz-Maciel, S.G. and Núñez-Gonzalí, A. (2009). [Recent records of three bird species in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico]. Huitzil 10(1): 3–6. In Spanish with English summary. Close ), SW Tamaulipas and C San Luis Potosí S to Hidalgo.

Largely unknown. Nests in Sonora in Jun. Nest domed, with side entrance; one in Sonora was located on underside of dead palm frond. Two nests in Michoacán were in Eucalyptus trees and contained 2 and 3 eggs respectively; eggs were buff with reddish-brown spots, heavier in the broad side, 23·0 mm × 16·5 mm on average (n = 5) (3 Ceja-Madrigal, A. and Salgado-Ortiz, J. (2013). Descripción del nido y huevos de la matraca serrana (Campylorhynchus gularis). Huitzil. 14(2):113–116. In Spanish with English summary. Close ). Clutch size unknown, but up to four fledglings seen together; eggs undescribed; no information on incubation and fledging periods. One recorded case of parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater).