Chamaea fasciata
adult
The Wrentit is a dumpy-bodied little songbird with a proportionately large head and very long tail. The plumage color varies subtly throughout the species’ range, but in any given location the sexes are similar and adults and juveniles are alike. Northern adults have a brownish back and tail, grading to gray-brown on the crown and face. The eye has a pale iris and there is a subtle pale supercilium. The underparts are pinkish buff and streaked, with a gray-buff wash on the flanks. The legs and bill are dark. Southern adults are grayer overall than their northern counterparts, both above and below.
The Wrentit is present year-round in its west coast range. Typically it favors rather dense oak woodland, and observing the species is not helped by its skulking and secretive habits. Once seen, however, it is hard to mistake for any other species.
FACT FILE
LENGTH 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates and berries
HABITAT Chaparral woodland
STATUS Locally common resident
VOICE Male’s song is an accelerating series of whistling pit notes, ending in a trill; female’s comprises evenly spaced notes and lacks a trill. Call is a churring rattle
