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 →
Closest Relatives at Jasper National Park
Marsh Wren
Cistothorus palustris
Pacific Wren
Troglodytes pacificus
House Wren
Troglodytes aedon
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Pine Siskin
Spinus pinus
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Rock Wren at Jasper National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ 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