- Cistothorus palustris
Identification
Photographed on Plum Island, Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA in June 2005 The Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) is a small songbird of the wren family.
Adults have brown upperparts with a light brown belly and flanks and a white throat and breast. The back is black with white stripes. They have a dark cap with a white line over the eyes and a short thin bill.
Distribution
In the western United States, some birds are permanent residents. Other birds migrate to marshes and salt marshes in the southern United States and Mexico.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Their breeding habitat is marshes with tall vegetation such as cattails across North America.
Behaviour
The nest is an oval lump attached to marsh vegetation, entered from the side. The male builds many unused nests in his territory; he may puncture the eggs of other birds nesting nearby.
These birds forage actively in vegetation, sometimes flying up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects, also spiders and snails.
The male's song is a loud gurgle used to declare ownership of territory; western males have a more varied repertoire.
This bird is still common, although its numbers have declined with the loss of suitable wetland habitat.
