Northern Nightingale-Wren (Microcerculus philomela)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Northern Nightingale-Wren

Microcerculus philomela (Salvin, 1861)

10–12 cmLength18 gWeight

The northern nightingale-wren (Microcerculus philomela), or nightingale wren, is a species of passerine bird in the family Troglodytidae.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Northern Nightingale-Wren has been recorded at 56 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Arenal Observatory LodgeCosta Rica4,179 records
  2. Sky Adventures - Arenal ParkCosta Rica828 records
  3. Las Heliconias Lodge and hanging bridgesCosta Rica611 records
More places
  1. Bosque Eterno de Los Niños – Poco SolCosta Rica595 records
  2. Bijagua – Tapir ValleyCosta Rica511 records
  3. Arenal – Peninsula roadCosta Rica453 records
  4. Arenal MisticoparkCosta Rica427 records
  5. Virgen del SocorroCosta Rica399 records
  6. Camino a la Reserva Alberto Manuel BrenesCosta Rica383 records
  7. Celeste Mountain LodgeCosta Rica335 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Costa RicaGuatemalaBelizeMexicoHondurasNicaragua

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 northern nightingale-wren (Microcerculus philomela), or nightingale wren, is a species of passerine bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

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

Questions

How big is the Northern Nightingale-Wren?

The Northern Nightingale-Wren is about 10–12 cm long and weighs around 18 g.

Where does the Northern Nightingale-Wren live?

Its breeding range: Middle America: southern Mexico to Costa Rica. It is most often recorded in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Belize.

When is the best time to see the Northern Nightingale-Wren?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Northern Nightingale-Wren endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Northern Nightingale-Wren as Near Threatened.

What does the Northern Nightingale-Wren eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Northern Nightingale-Wren in?

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

At a glance

Length
10–12 cm
Weight
18 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Near Threatened
More measurements
Wing
58 mm
Tail
19 mm
Bill
19 mm
Tarsus
21 mm

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

Range

Middle America: southern Mexico to Costa Rica

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Wrens Troglodytidae
Genus
Microcerculus

Other birds in the genus Microcerculus

Southern Nightingale-WrenSouthern Nightingale-WrenMicrocerculus marginatusFlutist WrenFlutist WrenMicrocerculus ustulatusWing-banded WrenWing-banded WrenMicrocerculus bamblaWhite-headed WrenWhite-headed WrenCampylorhynchus albobrunneusBand-backed WrenBand-backed WrenCampylorhynchus zonatusGrey-barred WrenGrey-barred WrenCampylorhynchus megalopterusStripe-backed WrenStripe-backed WrenCampylorhynchus nuchalisFasciated WrenFasciated WrenCampylorhynchus fasciatusGiant WrenGiant WrenCampylorhynchus chiapensisBicolored WrenBicolored WrenCampylorhynchus griseus
Northern Nightingale-Wren

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

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