The plain-tailed wren is a species of songbird in the family Troglodytidae. It has a mostly rufous body with a gray, black, and white striped head. It is found in the Andes of southern Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Plain-tailed wrens are so-called bamboo specialists and live almost exclusively in chusquea bamboo thickets. Like other wrens, its diet consists mainly of insects with some seeds and berries.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs along the Andean slopes of southern Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru, chiefly in cloud-forest understory dominated by Chusquea bamboo. Prefers dense, tangled thickets along forest edges, landslides, and ravines where bamboo is abundant. It often occupies regenerating secondary forest as long as bamboo stands are present. The species keeps close to the ground to mid-understory, slipping through culms and leaf litter.
Altitude Range
1200–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This species is famous for its tightly synchronized antiphonal duets, where males and females alternate notes with remarkable precision. It is a bamboo specialist that lives almost exclusively in dense Chusquea thickets, making it more often heard than seen. Studies of its duet singing have provided insights into vocal coordination and auditory processing in birds.
Plain-tailed wren at Bellavista, Ecuador
Temperament
secretive but vocal
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low darting flights
Social Behavior
Typically found in territorial pairs that remain together year-round within bamboo patches. Pairs are monogamous and communicate constantly with duets used for territory defense and pair bonding. Nests are well-hidden in dense vegetation, often within or adjacent to bamboo.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A striking antiphonal duet in which male and female alternate phrases to create a rapid, seamless song. Calls include sharp chips and scolds delivered from inside dense cover. Duets carry surprisingly far through bamboo stands despite the bird’s secretive habits.
Plumage
Rufous body with a boldly striped head; plain rufous tail without barring. The head shows contrasting black-and-white striping with a clean white eyebrow and darker facial lines. Underparts are warm rufous to chestnut with minimal patterning.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects and other small arthropods gleaned from bamboo culms, leaves, and mossy stems. It probes crevices and flicks through leaf litter for hidden prey. Occasionally takes small fruits or berries, especially when insect prey is less abundant.
Preferred Environment
Forages within dense Chusquea bamboo and adjacent understory, usually from ground level to mid-understory. Often works along ravines, trails, and forest edges where bamboo is thick.
