Southern House Wren - Troglodytes musculus chilensis - Chercán - Parque Patagonia, Chile
Something I thought about before the trip was the importance (to me) of securing an image of this bird, to match the one I have placed in the comment section below.
The wren above is in a state of scientific uncertainty name-wise. From the available options I've picked "Southern House Wren - Troglodytes musculus chilensis". It also seems to be known as Tropical Wren, Southern Wren, and just plain House Wren.
The bird below has a more settled taxonomic status - pretty much everyone agrees it is "House Wren - Troglodytes aeon". The catch is that until relatively recently both birds were considered a single species - with a range spanning almost 13,000 kilometres from northern Canada to Tierra del Fuego on the southern tip of South America. That seems a like a big territory for a single species, but on the other hand the Puma / Mountain Lion / Cougar has an even longer homeland - from the edge of Alaska to the edge of Tierra del Fuego - so who knows?
Anyway, the wonderful photo opportunity arose as I was picking my way carefully down the boulder-strewn slope below the Wolffsohn's Viscacha colony in Parque Patagonia. From the shrubbery at the base of the hillside I heard the staccato whistles of an Austral Pygmy-Owl, and the urgent chattering of the songbirds that had gathered to mob the predator. Prominent among the angry birds was the wren above, and after a brief internal debate about whether to attempt to photograph it or the owl, I chose the wren.
Happy holidays to all.
Member of the Flickr Bird Brigade
Activists for birds and wildlife
Southern House Wren - Troglodytes musculus chilensis - Chercán - Parque Patagonia, Chile
Something I thought about before the trip was the importance (to me) of securing an image of this bird, to match the one I have placed in the comment section below.
The wren above is in a state of scientific uncertainty name-wise. From the available options I've picked "Southern House Wren - Troglodytes musculus chilensis". It also seems to be known as Tropical Wren, Southern Wren, and just plain House Wren.
The bird below has a more settled taxonomic status - pretty much everyone agrees it is "House Wren - Troglodytes aeon". The catch is that until relatively recently both birds were considered a single species - with a range spanning almost 13,000 kilometres from northern Canada to Tierra del Fuego on the southern tip of South America. That seems a like a big territory for a single species, but on the other hand the Puma / Mountain Lion / Cougar has an even longer homeland - from the edge of Alaska to the edge of Tierra del Fuego - so who knows?
Anyway, the wonderful photo opportunity arose as I was picking my way carefully down the boulder-strewn slope below the Wolffsohn's Viscacha colony in Parque Patagonia. From the shrubbery at the base of the hillside I heard the staccato whistles of an Austral Pygmy-Owl, and the urgent chattering of the songbirds that had gathered to mob the predator. Prominent among the angry birds was the wren above, and after a brief internal debate about whether to attempt to photograph it or the owl, I chose the wren.
Happy holidays to all.
Member of the Flickr Bird Brigade
Activists for birds and wildlife