- Henicorhina leucophrys
Identification
10–11·5 cm
Underside is quite variable among the different subspecies.
Similar Species
The Munchique Wood-Wren is similar in plumage but very different in song.
Distribution
Central and South America
Central America: found in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama,
South America: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia
Taxonomy
Hermit Wood Wren was formerly included in this species.
Subspecies
12 subspecies are recognized[1]:
- H.l. festiva: Western Mexico (cloud forests of western Michoacán and Guerrero)
- H.l. mexicana: Eastern Mexico (San Luis Potosí to Puebla, Veracruz and northern Oaxaca)
- H.l. castanea: Extreme sothern Mexico (Chiapas) and northern Guatemala
- H.l. capitalis: Southern Mexico (western Chiapas) to western Guatemala and El Salvador
- H.l. collina: Highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama (Chiriquí and Veraguas)
- H.l. bangsi: Subtropical and upper tropical Santa Marta Mountains (north-eastern Colombia)
- H.l. leucophrys: Andes of Colombia to Ecuador and Peru
- H.l. brunneiceps: Andes of south-western Colombia to extreme northern Ecuador (Imbabura)
- H.l. hilaris: Subtropical mountains of south-western Ecuador
- H.l. venezuelensis: Subtropical coastal cordillera of northern Venezuela (Lara to Miranda)
- H.l. meridana: Eastern slope of Andes of Colombia and western Venezuela
- H.l. boliviana: Subtropical mountains of western Bolivia (Cochabamba, La Paz and Santa Cruz)
Genetic structure has been revealed within this species, placing birds from panama and western Colombia and Ecuador somewhat distant from birds from central Andes. There is not enough data to tell if this will end up with splitting into two or more species.
Habitat
Mostly in primary or mature secondary forest or edges, where it prefers areas with dense undergrowth and often near streams. This species prefers higher elevation than White-breasted Wood-Wren where these occupy the same basic area; there can be some elevational overlap.
Behaviour
Likes to cock tail, and frequently join mixed species flocks.
Diet
Food is mainly invertebrates taken on the ground or low in undergrowth.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2016. IOC World Bird Names (version 6.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Gray-breasted Wood Wren. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Gray-breasted_Wood_Wren
