Bay Wren (Cantorchilus nigricapillus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Bay Wren

Cantorchilus nigricapillus (Sclater, PL, 1860)

13–16 cmLength24 gWeight

The bay wren (Cantorchilus nigricapillus) is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae.

Busiest months: December–March and October · Most records: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Bay Wren has been recorded at 172 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Estación Biológica La Selva-OTSCosta Rica4,624 records
  2. Canopy LodgePanama2,831 records
  3. Reserva Mashpi-AmagusaEcuador2,564 records
More places
  1. Refugio mixto Caño NegroCosta Rica2,115 records
  2. El Pangán ProAves reserveColombia2,095 records
  3. Tirimbina Rainforest CenterCosta Rica2,018 records
  4. Arenal Observatory LodgeCosta Rica2,002 records
  5. Rancho NaturalistaCosta Rica1,921 records
  6. Alto Anchicayá - El DescansoColombia1,916 records
  7. RN Cañon del Río ClaroColombia1,700 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Costa RicaEcuadorColombiaPanamaNicaragua

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The bay wren (Cantorchilus nigricapillus) is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is native to southern Central America and northwestern South America.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Bay Wren?

The Bay Wren is about 13–16 cm long and weighs around 24 g.

Where does the Bay Wren live?

Its breeding range: Middle America, South America: Nicaragua to Ecuador. It is most often recorded in Costa Rica, Ecuador and Colombia.

When is the best time to see the Bay Wren?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, March, October and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Bay Wren endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Bay Wren as Least Concern.

What does the Bay Wren eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Bay Wren in?

It belongs to the family Wrens (Troglodytidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
13–16 cm
Weight
24 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
66 mm
Tail
54 mm
Bill
19 mm
Tarsus
25 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Middle America, South America: Nicaragua to Ecuador

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Wrens Troglodytidae
Genus
Cantorchilus

Other birds in the genus Cantorchilus

Cabanis's WrenCabanis's WrenCantorchilus modestusCanebrake WrenCanebrake WrenCantorchilus zeledoniIsthmian WrenIsthmian WrenCantorchilus elutusBuff-breasted WrenBuff-breasted WrenCantorchilus leucotisSuperciliated WrenSuperciliated WrenCantorchilus superciliarisFawn-breasted WrenFawn-breasted WrenCantorchilus guarayanusLong-billed WrenLong-billed WrenCantorchilus longirostrisGrey WrenGrey WrenCantorchilus griseusRiverside WrenRiverside WrenCantorchilus semibadiusStripe-breasted WrenStripe-breasted WrenCantorchilus thoracicusStripe-throated WrenStripe-throated WrenCantorchilus leucopogon
Bay Wren

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages