Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyTroglodytidae (Wrens)
- GenusSalpinctes
- SpeciesSalpinctes obsoletus (Rock Wren)
The rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) is a small songbird of the wren family native to the rocky areas of western North America. There are 8 subspecies of the rock wren, one of which is extinct. They are similar in size to other wrens, with a grey-brown coat, a brown rump, and a speckled white throat. They are visually similar to the canyon wren, which they share a habitat with. They are noted for their variable song and song pattern, used for territory defense, as well as their habit of building "pavements" with flat rocks around their nest to help nestlings stay dry. Rock wrens are serially monogamous, forming pairs for nesting season. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Rock Wren sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 25 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve
Cactus Wren
Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Marsh Wren
Cistothorus palustris
House Wren
Troglodytes aedon
Canyon Wren
Catherpes mexicanus
Bewick's Wren
Thryomanes bewickii
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Orange-crowned Warbler
Leiothlypis celata
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Hooded Oriole
Icterus cucullatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Rock Wren in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
About 3% of wildlife watchers report a Rock Wren sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 25 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Rock Wren in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
November has the highest sighting rate for Rock Wren in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.