The grey-browed wren is a small passerine bird in the wren family Troglodytidae. It is found in northern Peru north of the Río Marañón. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the plain-tailed wren.
Region
Northern Peruvian Andes
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane forests, especially where dense Chusquea bamboo and understory thickets are present. It uses forest edges and regenerating secondary growth with ample cover. Within these habitats it keeps low to mid-understory levels, slipping through tangles and bamboo culms. The species is typically localized but can be fairly common where suitable bamboo stands exist.
Altitude Range
1800–3200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This elusive wren favors dense Andean bamboo and tangles, where pairs often perform tightly synchronized antiphonal duets. Its range lies in northern Peru, north of the Río Marañón, and it was formerly treated as a subspecies of the Plain-tailed Wren. The Marañón valley acts as a biogeographic barrier, helping isolate this taxon. Its loud, complex songs can reveal its presence long before it is seen.
Temperament
secretive and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low through dense cover
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs or small family groups that maintain territories year-round. Pairs are strongly bonded and often remain in close contact by duetting. Nests are typically globular and tucked into dense vegetation, with both sexes participating in territory defense.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, complex series of whistles and trills, often delivered as tightly coordinated antiphonal duets between mates. Songs cut through dense bamboo and can be heard at considerable distance, while calls are sharp chips or squeaks used to keep contact.
Plumage
Compact wren with warm rufous-brown upperparts and richer rufous underparts, a contrasting grayish supercilium, and fine dark barring on the tail. The face shows subtle dark and pale streaking, with a cleaner gray brow that stands out. Underparts are mostly plain rufous to cinnamon with minimal spotting.
Diet
Primarily feeds on small arthropods such as insects, spiders, and their larvae. It gleans prey from bamboo culms, leaf litter, mossy trunks, and tangles. Occasional pecking and probing into curled leaves or bark crevices are common. It may rarely take small berries when insect prey is scarce.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the shaded understory of cloud forests and dense bamboo stands. Often works methodically through thickets, moving close to the ground or up to mid-understory levels where cover is thick.
