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Wrens (Troglodytidae)

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) - HBW 10, p. 414

French: Troglodyte des marais German: Sumpfzaunkönig Spanish: Cucarachero Pantanero
Other common names: Long-billed Marsh Wren; Eastern Marsh Wren (“nominate group”); Western Marsh Wren (“paludicola group”)

Taxonomy: Certhia palustris A. Wilson, 1810, Pennsylvania, USA.
Sometimes placed in a monotypic genus Telmatodytes, but probably closely related to C. meridae and C. apolinari. Recent studies of song types suggest that W races (“paludicola group”, also including browningi, pulverius, plesius, aestuarinus, clarkae and deserticola) constitute a separate species from N & E ones (“nominate group”); this possibility supported by DNA studies of populations in limited area of sympatry, where there appears to be an effective reproductive isolation even in habitats where individuals .. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Certhia palustris A. Wilson, 1810, Pennsylvania, USA.
Sometimes placed in a monotypic genus Telmatodytes, but probably closely related to C. meridae and C. apolinari. Recent studies of song types suggest that W races (“paludicola group”, also including browningi, pulverius, plesius, aestuarinus, clarkae and deserticola) constitute a separate species from N & E ones (“nominate group”); this possibility supported by DNA studies of populations in limited area of sympatry, where there appears to be an effective reproductive isolation even in habitats where individuals of each song type co-exist. Affinities of isolated C Mexican race tolucensis uncertain; studies required. Sixteen subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • browningi Rea, 1986 - extreme SW Canada (SW British Columbia) S in W USA to C Washington; non-breeding also to SW Washington.
  • paludicola S. F. Baird, 1864 - SW Washington and NW Oregon.
  • pulverius (Aldrich, 1946) - breeds from C British Columbia and C Idaho S to NE California and NW Nevada; non-breeding NW Oregon and C California S to C Mexico and S Texas.

     See all 16 subspecies
  • browningi Rea, 1986 - extreme SW Canada (SW British Columbia) S in W USA to C Washington; non-breeding also to SW Washington.
  • paludicola S. F. Baird, 1864 - SW Washington and NW Oregon.
  • pulverius (Aldrich, 1946) - breeds from C British Columbia and C Idaho S to NE California and NW Nevada; non-breeding NW Oregon and C California S to C Mexico and S Texas.
  • plesius Oberholser, 1897 - breeds from SE Idaho S to C Colorado and New Mexico; non-breeding C California, Nevada and Kansas S to C Mexico.
  • aestuarinus (Swarth, 1917) - C California (Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys to San Joaquin delta); non-breeding also W to California coast.
  • clarkae Unitt et al., 1996 - coastal S California (Los Angeles S to San Diego).
  • deserticola Rea, 1986 - interior of S California.
  • laingi (Harper, 1926) - breeds SC Canada (N Alberta and C Saskatchewan E to SE Manitoba) and extreme N USA (NE Montana); non-breeding S USA (S Texas) and Mexico (S to E Jalisco, Oaxaca and C Veracruz).
  • iliacus Ridgway, 1903 - breeds from Manitoba and SW Ontario S in USA to E Kansas and Missouri; non-breeding S USA (E from SE Texas) and interior Mexico (S as far as Tlaxcala).
  • dissaeptus Bangs, 1902 - breeds from S Ontario S to N Ohio, West Virginia and S New England; non-breeding S to S Florida and E Mexico (S to Veracruz).
  • palustris (A. Wilson, 1810) - breeds E USA (from Rhode Island S to coastal Virginia and Potomac Valley); non-breeding from New Jersey S to South Carolina, sparsely to Florida.
  • waynei (Dingle & Sprunt, 1932) - coasts of S Virginia and North Carolina.
  • griseus Brewster, 1893 - coastal marshes from NE South Carolina S to NE coast of Florida.
  • thryophilus (Oberholser, 1903) - Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana.
  • marianae W. E. D. Scott, 1888 - Gulf coast from Mississippi E to Florida.
  • tolucensis (Nelson, 1904) - C Mexico (Hidalgo and México S to Puebla).
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