Rock Wren

Had such a fun morning last Sunday on my hike in Pima Canyon Wash with the numerous Rock Wrens that I figured they needed their moment of glory in the avian world.  This is a probably the palest wren in the United States, but like all wrens, it is not a boring bird to hear and observe.  They are fond of arid and rocky canyons or anyplace where piles of rocks can be found.  They are a western bird, but many have found their way to the east coast of the US on occasions.  They breed as far north as parts of western Canada, but those that breed in the north do migrate south for the winter.  In Arizona, they are residents throughout the year.  When I first started hiking in Arizona it was a bird that was exciting to find as I had never seen one before.  Interestingly, when I made a trip to southwestern Nebraska in August, I was surprised to find one there, thinking they were strictly a desert species.  But it is experiences like this that gets me to read my guides a bit more in detail and I found out the do have a large range throughout the western United States. 

 

As with most wrens, they are very active and musical as well.  They can be seen ducking in and around rocks foraging for insects and probably spiders.  They will disappear down into a pile of rocks and if one has the patience, they will most generally pop up before too long to check out the area.  Many times I will hear them before I see them and for those that are interested, here is a link to hear their song.

 

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/rock_wren/sounds

 

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of seeing 8 of these birds and a couple of them were more than happy to oblige me and my camera with some really fun shots.  Hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did when shooting them. They may be pale in coloration, but they really make up for that in their behavior and song.