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GRAY-BREASTED WOOD WREN  Henicorhina leucophrys 10–11.5cm. Humid

highland forest, adjacent second growth, especially with bamboo. Singles or

pairs hop on and near forest floor, usually hidden in dense foliage. Cf. juv.

Middle American Wood Wren (local overlap in foothills). Juv. Gray-breasted

has grayish throat, weaker face pattern than adult. SOUNDS: Songs varied, often

involving duets: loud rich whistled phrases, typically richer, fuller, more varied

than Middle American Wood Wren, such as wheer heer chee-dee-hu-weedee,…

Hard dry chak and varied chatters, more rattling than Middle American; low

gruff chuk run into chatters; hollow ringing cheuh. STATUS: Fairly common to

common, from timberline down to 1100m on Pacific slope, to 800m on Caribbean slope. (Mexico to

S America.)

*MIDDLE AMERICAN [WHITE-BREASTED] WOOD WREN  Henicorhina

[leucosticta] prostheleuca 10–11.5cm. Humid forest understory. Singles or pairs

hop on and near forest floor, often hidden in tangles, foliage. Gray-breasted

Wood Wren (local overlap in foothills) has streaked throat, gray breast; told

readily by voice. Juv. Middle American has grayish breast and sides, like adult

by fall. SOUNDS: Songs varied: rich to slightly plaintive, short whistled phrases,

repeated, ss chee ree-eu,…or hoo-ee hoo’ee-ee,..., longer and more complex in

duets; often introduced by a quiet lisp. Less rich and forceful than songs of

Gray-breasted. Bright, ringing, burry breeh! notably ventriloquial, could be

passed off as a frog; dry scolding chek; dry rattling chatters. STATUS: Fairly common to common, to

1800m on Pacific slope (mainly foothills), to 1200m on Caribbean slope. (Mexico to Colombia.)

(NORTHERN) NIGHTINGALE WREN  Microcerculus philomela 10–11cm.

Distinctive but elusive dark wren of humid forest understory, especially ravines in

foothills; no range overlap with Whistling Wren. On or near shady forest floor,

where rarely seen unless located by song. Walks with almost constant bobbing

motion; sings from ground or low perch. SOUNDS: Song unmistakable and haunt­

ing, a seemingly random, confident to hesitant rising and falling series of plaintive

short whistles interspersed with high lisps, such as hee hoo, hee hoo, hoo hoo hee hoo,

ss hoo hee..., 2–3 notes/sec. Calls include sharp chek. STATUS: Uncommon locally

on n. Caribbean slope, to 1400m, mainly in foothills; spills over locally to

adjacent Pacific slope. (Mexico to Costa Rica.)

*WHISTLING [SOUTHERN NIGHTINGALE-] WREN  Microcerculus [margi­

natus] luscinia 10–11cm. Habits like Nightingale Wren, but no range overlap.

Note overall plain plumage with whitish throat, song. SOUNDS: Song starts with

rapid short twitter of rising whistles and runs into a variably prolonged series of

well-spaced, high, thin piercing whistles that become progressively longer (from

0.5 sec to 1 sec) and slightly lower, with longer pauses between them (up to 10

secs with later notes, which are sometimes doubled), a whole song sometimes

taking 3 mins or longer: sisisi-sii sii siiii, siiii.…Calls include slightly wooden,

abrupt chek. STATUS: Uncommon locally, to 1700m on Pacific slope, to 1100m

on s. Caribbean slope. (Costa Rica to Panama.)

SONG WREN  Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus 11.5–12.5cm. Chunky, distinctive

dark wren of humid lowland forest understory, adjacent taller second growth.

Often in pairs or small groups, hopping on and near forest floor, tossing leaves,

probing in tangles; sometimes joins mixed flocks and attends ant swarms. No

similar species, but blue-gray orbital skin and rusty breast could suggest an

antbird. Juv. has dark barring above, pale rear margin to rusty face and breast.

SOUNDS: Gruff, slightly spluttering short rasping chatter, grr rreh-reh-rrehk, and

variations, may suggest a frog; also guttural but vaguely musical, frog-like chut­

tering or gurgling, typically in short bursts. Song a series of (usually 2–6)

alternating short–long and often high–low melodic whistles, which can combine with bursts of chuttering

to produce distinctive, slightly haunting effect. STATUS: Uncommon to fairly common on Caribbean

slope, to 1100m; spills over locally to adjacent n. Pacific slope. (Honduras to w. Ecuador.)