Wrentit

Chamaea fasciata

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

17 cm (6-7") Common but restricted to Oregon and California. Dense chaparral, coniferous brush, gardens, shrubs.

Drab wren-like bird; long rounded tail often uplifted. Brown or gray overall. Breast is faintly streaked. Whitish eye.

Heard more than seen.

Song: males have long clear monotone staccato notes ending in a trill; females have no ending trill.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

1 photo

Credit: Teddy Llovet

Watch and learn

Videos

1 video

Wrentit

Credit: Don DesJardin

Where it lives

Distribution maps

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 2 rules

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

Wrentit

2 rules

Rule 1 15 criteria confidence 4

What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?: White or light gray · Yellow or olive · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · 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) · Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:662-wrentit:1:1 Source: 662 Wrentit, row 1

Rule 2 5 criteria confidence 4

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:662-wrentit:2:1 Source: 662 Wrentit, row 2