Rock Wren Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A small songbird with relatively short wings, moderately long tail, and a fine, long, sharp bill.

  Relative Size

  Slightly larger than a House Wren, smaller than a Western Bluebird.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 4.9-5.9 in (12.5-15 cm)
    • Weight: 0.5-0.6 oz (15-18 g)
    • Wingspan: 8.7-9.4 in (22-24 cm)

  © Brian Sullivan / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Brown with flecks of gray above; pale below with buffy flanks. Fine streaks below are often hard to see. Brown wings have fine, dark barring and there are small speckles on the back and wings. The russet tail has dark bars and a buffy tip.

• Behavior

  A wren of dry, stony environments, Rock Wrens forage by hopping along the ground and investigating crevices for insects and spiders, which they extract with their fine bills. When agitated, they frequently call as they bob up and down.
• Habitat

  Rock Wrens occupy almost any arid, stony environment, from desert to alpine, provided there is not too much vegetation. They avoid wetlands and waterways but use habitats altered by industrial activity (mining, clearcutting, road building, etc.).