Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus)
About the Canyon Wren
The canyon wren (Catherpes mexicanus) is a small North American songbird of the wren family Troglodytidae. A non-migratory species, these birds are found throughout western North America in dry, rocky environments such as cliffs, outcrops, and canyons. It is a small bird that is hard to see on its rocky habitat, and is often located by its loud distinctive song. It is currently in a monotypic taxon and is the only species in the genus Catherpes. The canyon wren's genus name, Catherpes, derives from the Greek word "kathero", meaning to creep down: a reference to its tendency to cling to vertical walls. Its species name, mexicanus, refers to the country of Mexico, where it is widely found.
A real field recording of the Canyon Wren. Press play and focus on the rhythm and pitch of each phrase.
Listen
Our streaming copies are mirrored from the original xeno-canto file and transcoded to 96 kbps mono — a modification, so we note it here; the licence for each recording is named in its credit below.
2 recordings on this page · licensed Public Domain / CC0 ×2 · mirrored on this server, free for commercial reuse · recorded in Canada, Mexico, United States · xeno-canto lists 306 recordings for this species in total.
Other birds in this region
- Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescensrecording
- American AvocetRecurvirostra americanarecording
- American Barn OwlTyto furcatarecording
- American BushtitPsaltriparus minimusrecording
- American Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonotarecording
- American Dusky FlycatcherEmpidonax oberholserirecording
These are the birds recorded alongside it, not close relatives — the site holds no other member of its genus or family yet.