Winter wren

    Troglodytes troglodytes

Castilian: Chochín común

Catalan: Cargolet

Gallego: Carriza

Euskera: Txepetxa

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Troglodytidae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

Risk factors exist due to the degradation of wetlands and riparian forests, tree felling and the clearing of shrubland.

Length / size: 9-10,5 cm / 13-17 cm

Identification: Small bird with a compact appearance and a very short tail. Its plumage is reddish-brown, somewhat lighter on its underparts, and includes darker vermicular colours. Its forehead is cream-coloured. It has a restless personality, and when it is startled it lifts its tail 90 degrees before disappearing into the vegetation.

Song: It is a quite poweful song for the bird's small size. The calling voice is a "cherrrrr" clicking sound.

Diet: It feeds exclusively on insects (beetles, spiders, flies, aphids, etc.) that it catches among bushes, and sometimes on the ground; on some occasions it can be seen descending near river scrubland to the water surface in order to capture mosquitoes.

Reproduction: Breeding begins in April. The nest is spherical, with a small entry hole, and is made of grass and moss. It is placed near the ground in thorny vegetation, in a tree hollow, or in a wall or slope hollow. They are polygamous and the female is the one that is in charge of incubation. Both adults participate in feeding the chicks, although the effort made by each one varies throughout the breeding process.

HABITAT

It selects wet environments with abundant vegetation, such as riverside undergrowth, river vegetation and deciduous Atlantic forests. In the southern half it can appear in cork oak or pine forests with heave undergrowth, or open wooded formations with wet fields and an abundance of thorny shrubs. It reaches an altitude of 2,200 metres in Sierra Nevada.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It is distributed throughout most of the peninsula (it is rare in the southern half), the Balearic Islands, and Ceuta.

In Castile and León: It is distributed throughout the entire community.

Movements and migrations: The European populations can be migrant, partially migrant or resident, depending on the latitude at which they are found. Although they tolerate well the winters in the coldest regions of the temperate latitudes where they live, they can make altitudinal movements in search of better environmental conditions. Many specimens come to Spain for the winter.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 1.502 million breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: