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Wrens (Troglodytidae)

Southern House Wren (Troglodytes musculus) - HBW 10, p. 435

French: Troglodyte austral German: Südlicher Hauszaunkönig Spanish: Chochín Ratón
Other common names: House Wren (when combined with other members of superspecies); Antillean House Wren (“martinicensis group”)

Taxonomy: Troglodytes musculus J. F. Naumann, 1823, Bahia, Brazil.
Forms a superspecies with T. aedon, T. brunneicollis, T. tanneri, T. beani and T. cobbi; all have often been treated as conspecific, as suggested by field observations, but recent DNA analyses indicate that present species and first two are three separate species; the others, isolated on islands, likely also to be distinct. The six Lesser Antilles races of present species (the “martinicensis” group) possibly warrant separation as an additional full species. Race martinicensis (Martinique) presumed extinct. Twenty-five extant subspecies reco.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Troglodytes musculus J. F. Naumann, 1823, Bahia, Brazil.
Forms a superspecies with T. aedon, T. brunneicollis, T. tanneri, T. beani and T. cobbi; all have often been treated as conspecific, as suggested by field observations, but recent DNA analyses indicate that present species and first two are three separate species; the others, isolated on islands, likely also to be distinct. The six Lesser Antilles races of present species (the “martinicensis” group) possibly warrant separation as an additional full species. Race martinicensis (Martinique) presumed extinct. Twenty-five extant subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • intermedius Cabanis, 1861 - S Mexico (SE Oaxaca, Tabasco) S to C Costa Rica.
  • inquietus S. F. Baird, 1864 - extreme SW Costa Rica and Panama (E to Darién).
  • carychrous Wetmore, 1957 - Coiba I, off S Panama.

     See all 25 subspecies
  • intermedius Cabanis, 1861 - S Mexico (SE Oaxaca, Tabasco) S to C Costa Rica.
  • inquietus S. F. Baird, 1864 - extreme SW Costa Rica and Panama (E to Darién).
  • carychrous Wetmore, 1957 - Coiba I, off S Panama.
  • pallidipes A. R. Phillips, 1986 - Pearl Is (San Jose and Pedro González, possibly also Bayoneta and Santelmo), off SE Panama.
  • guadeloupensis ( Cory, 1886) - Guadeloupe, in N Lesser Antilles.
  • rufescens ( Lawrence, 1877) - Dominica.
  • mesoleucus ( P. L. Sclater, 1876) - St Lucia.
  • musicus ( Lawrence, 1878) - St Vincent.
  • grenadensis ( Lawrence, 1878) - Grenada, in S Lesser Antilles.
  • tobagensis Lawrence, 1888 - Tobago.
  • atopus Oberholser, 1904 - N Colombia.
  • effutitus Wetmore, 1958 - NE Colombia (Guajira Peninsula and extreme NE Magdalena).
  • striatulus ( Lafresnaye, 1845) - W & C Colombia and W Venezuela.
  • columbae Stone, 1899 - E Andes in Venezuela and Colombia.
  • clarus Berlepsch & Hartert, 1902 - Venezuela (except W), Trinidad, the Guianas and E Colombia S to NE Peru and N & W Brazil.
  • albicans Berlepsch & Taczanowski, 1884 - SW Colombia and W Ecuador.
  • musculus J. F. Naumann, 1823 - C, E & S Brazil (S to Mato Grosso), E Paraguay & NE Argentina (Misiones).
  • bonariae Hellmayr, 1919 - NE Argentina, Uruguay and extreme SE Brazil.
  • puna Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1896 - N & E Peru and NW Bolivia.
  • audax Tschudi, 1844 - arid W coast of Peru (from Trujillo S to Pisco).
  • carabayae Chapman & Griscom, 1924 - C & S Peru (Junín S to Puno).
  • tecellatus d’Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837 - extreme SW Peru and N Chile (Lluta Valley).
  • rex Berlepsch & Leverkühn, 1890 - C & E Bolivia, N Argentina and W Paraguay.
  • atacamensis Hellmayr, 1924 - N Chile.
  • chilensis Lesson, 1830 - from C Chile (S from Aconcagua) and C Argentina S to Tierra del Fuego.
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