Wrens (Troglodytidae)

Bay Wren (Thryothorus nigricapillus) - HBW 10, p. 424

French: Troglodyte à calotte noire German: Kastanienzaunkönig Spanish: Cucarachero Cabecinegro
Other common names: Black-capped Wren (S races)

Taxonomy: Thryothorus nigricapillus P. L. Sclater, 1860, Nanegal, c. 4000 feet [c. 1220 m], Pichincha, Ecuador.
Sometimes considered conspecific with T. semibadius, but differs in plumage and no evidence of intergradation where ranges approach in Costa Rica and W Panama; separation also supported by recent DNA analyses. In addition, N group of unbarred races (costaricensis, castaneus, odicus, reditus) sometimes treated as a separate species; in view of intergradation of the two groups in E Panama, however, most authorities merge them into a single species, notwithstanding major plumage differences between the geographical extremes. Seven subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

costaricensis (Sharpe, 1882) - SE Nicaragua (R Escondido) S through Caribbean drainage to W Panama.
castaneus Lawrence, 1861 - W Panama from Veraguas E to Canal Zone.
odicus Wetmore, 1959 - Escudo de Veraguas I, off NW Panama.

See all 7 subspecies

costaricensis (Sharpe, 1882) - SE Nicaragua (R Escondido) S through Caribbean drainage to W Panama.
castaneus Lawrence, 1861 - W Panama from Veraguas E to Canal Zone.
odicus Wetmore, 1959 - Escudo de Veraguas I, off NW Panama.
reditus (Griscom, 1932) - Caribbean slope of E Panama.
schottii (S. F. Baird, 1864) - E Panama (Darién) and NW Colombia (Antioquia, Chocó).
connectens (Chapman, 1912) - SW Colombia (Cauca, Nariño).
nigricapillus P. L. Sclater, 1860 - W Ecuador (Esmeraldas S to El Oro).