The rufous-and-white wren is a small songbird of the wren family. It is a resident breeding species from southwesternmost Mexico to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. It was formerly placed in the genus Thryothorus.
Region
Mesoamerica and northern South America
Typical Environment
Occurs from southwestern Mexico through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. It occupies dry to semi-humid forests, thorn scrub, secondary growth, and wooded edges. Frequently found near riparian thickets and in vine tangles and hedgerows. It favors low to mid-level understory, moving through dense cover while foraging.
Altitude Range
0–1400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This species is noted for loud, antiphonal duets in which male and female alternate phrases seamlessly. It favors dry forests and scrubby edges and was formerly placed in the genus Thryothorus. Pairs maintain territories year‑round and often build domed nests with a side entrance.
Temperament
active and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs that defend territories year-round. Pairs engage in coordinated duet singing and may remain together across seasons. Nests are domed structures placed in dense shrubs or low trees, with both sexes contributing to nest defense.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is loud and musical, delivered as an antiphonal duet of clear whistles and rich, ringing phrases. Calls include sharp chips and scolds given from within cover when alarmed.
Plumage
Rich rufous upperparts with fine dark barring on wings and tail; clean white underparts with a slightly buffy wash on the flanks. Prominent white supercilium contrasts with a darker eye-line; throat and belly bright white. Tail often cocked; feathers show subtle barring when spread.
Diet
Primarily eats insects and other small arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and ants. Occasionally takes small berries or seeds, especially in the dry season. Gleans prey from leaves, twigs, and bark, and sometimes probes crevices and vine tangles.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense understory, brushy edges, and thickets, typically from near the ground up to mid-levels. Often works through vine tangles and thorny scrub, sometimes near forest margins or along streams.
