BREEDING BIRDS: CANYON WREN

CANYON WREN

(Catherpes mexicanus)

Description: Mostly brown, with a white throat and breast. Has a chestnut belly, a flattened crown and a long bill.

Habitat: Prefers steep shadowy canyons and cliffs near water.

Diet: Mostly insects.

Displays: None documented.

Nest: Builds a cup of moss, spider webs and leaves on a base of twigs. Lined with grasses and other fine materials.

Eggs: White, lightly flecked with reddish-brown.

Call: Makes a sharp jeet sound. Song is a series of tee’s and tew’s that descends and decelerates in tone and speed.

Breeding bird atlas: To report bird breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas, call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160.

Note: Map is divided into 5-kilometer squares so that Audubon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis.

Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society; “The Birder’s Handbook,” Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” National Geographic Society (1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett and Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981).

Indicates 5-kilometer-square areas where breeding activity has been confirmed.