Carolina wren

Carolina wren
Houston, Texas
Recorded in Cape May, New Jersey, US
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Genus: Thryothorus
Vieillot, 1816[2]
Species:
T. ludovicianus
Binomial name
Thryothorus ludovicianus
(Latham, 1790)
Subspecies[3]
List
  • T. l. berlandieri
  • T. l. burleighi
  • T. l. lomitensis
  • T. l. ludovicianus
  • T. l. miamensis
  • T. l. nesophilus
  • T. l. tropicalis
  • T. (l.) albinucha – White-browed wren
Range of the Carolina wren (T. ludovicianus)
Synonyms[4]

Sylvia ludoviciana (Latham, 1790)

Thryothorus ludovicianus

The Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is a common species of wren that is a resident in the Eastern United States, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico. Severe winters restrict the northern limits of their range, while favorable weather conditions lead to a northward extension of their breeding range. Their preferred habitat is in dense cover in forest, farm edges, and suburban areas. This wren is the state bird of South Carolina.

Seven recognized subspecies occur across the range of these wrens and they differ slightly in song and appearance. The birds are generally inconspicuous, avoiding the open for extended periods of time. When out in the open, they energetically investigate their surroundings and are rarely stationary. After finding a mate, pairs maintain a territory and stay together for several years. Both males and females give out alarm calls, but only males sing to advertise territory. Carolina wrens raise multiple broods during the summer breeding season, but can fall victim to brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds, among other species. Some populations have been affected by mercury contamination.

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Thryothorus ludovicianus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference David was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Brewer15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Mayr, E.; Greenway, J.C. Jr., eds. (1960). Check-list of birds of the World. Volume IX. Cambridge, Mass.: Museum of Comparative Zoology. pp. 409–410.