Rock Wren

Salpinctes obsoletus

Explore this bird

Identification

15 cm (6") Western United States, southwestern Canada. Fairly common. Canyons, rocky slopes.

Gray brown on head and back contrasts with cinnamon rump. Buffy tail tips. Finely streaked light breast. Light belly.

Leaves a path of small rocks to its nest.

Head bobbing habit.

Song: variety of trills and buzzes, "tick-eer".

Details in the field

3 photos

Credit: Len Blumin

Watch and learn

1 video

Rock Wren

Credit: Larry Bond

Where it lives

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 4 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

4 rules

Rule 1 11 criteria confidence 5

What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: Light outer edge or corners · Dark and light bands across it · Broad dark band across the tip · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Barred crosswise (from side to side) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:687-rock-wren:1:1 Source: 687 Rock Wren, row 1

Rule 2 12 criteria confidence 1

What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: Light outer edge or corners · Dark and light bands across it · Broad dark band across the tip · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Barred crosswise (from side to side) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Fall · Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:687-rock-wren:2:1 Source: 687 Rock Wren, row 2

Rule 3 5 criteria confidence 5

What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Pointing upward or cocked over its back
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Open body of freshwater · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:687-rock-wren:3:1 Source: 687 Rock Wren, row 3

Rule 4 5 criteria confidence 1

What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Pointing upward or cocked over its back
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Open body of freshwater · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:687-rock-wren:4:1 Source: 687 Rock Wren, row 4