Hermit wood wren

The hermit wood wren or Santa Marta wood wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae.
It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of northern Colombia.

Taxonomy and systematics

The hermit wood wren was first described in 1899 as a subspecies of grey-breasted wood wren. In June 2016 the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society elevated it to species rank and the International Ornithological Committee and the Clements taxonomy followed suit. The parties adopted the name "hermit wood wren" to avoid confusion with the Santa Marta wren. It has no subspecies.

Description

The hermit wood wren is approximately long. Its crown and nape are olive-brown and its upperparts a sooty or rusty brown. Its throat is whitish gray with indistinct streaks, its breast a medium gray, and its flanks are russet.

Distribution and habitat

The hermit wood wren is found only in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia. It inhabits humid montane forest between approximately of elevation.

Behavior

Feeding

As far as is known, the hermit wood wren's feeding behavior and diet are generally like those of H. leucophrys. It forages singly or in small groups from the ground to only as high as in vegetation. Its diet appears to be solely invertebrates. However, it has not been recorded following army ant swarms.

Breeding

No information about the hermit wood wren's breeding phenology has been published.

Vocalization

The hermit wood wren's song "differs significantly from H. l. bangsi in being characterized by a higher frequency and a greater frequency range". Like the grey-breasted wood wren, it is "far more easily heard than seen."

Status

The IUCN has assessed the hermit wood wren as Near Threatened. It has a restricted range and though its population has not been quantified, it is believed to be decreasing. It does tolerate a degree of habitat disturbance and occurs in some protected areas.