The southern chestnut-breasted wren is a species of passerine bird in the wren family Troglodytidae that is found in southern Peru and the extreme northwest of Bolivia. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the northern chestnut-breasted wren with the English name "chestnut-breasted wren".
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs on the east slope of the Andes in southern Peru into the extreme northwest of Bolivia. It occupies humid montane and cloud forests with dense understory, especially along steep ravines and forest edges with bamboo. The species keeps close to the ground or low shrubs, rarely venturing into open spaces. It is patchily distributed where intact forest remains and is sensitive to extensive habitat clearing.
Altitude Range
600–2400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The southern chestnut-breasted wren inhabits dense Andean cloud-forest understory in southern Peru and far northwestern Bolivia, where it is more often heard than seen. It favors thickets of bamboo (Chusquea) and tangled viney ravines, slipping mouse-like through cover. Its rich, fluty song carries far through humid forest. It was recently split from the northern chestnut-breasted wren, reflecting differences in voice and range.
Temperament
skulking and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between dense cover
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, keeping low in dense understory. Pairs maintain territories and communicate with soft contact notes. Nests are placed low in tangles or cavities within dense vegetation, with both adults attending the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A clear, fluty series of whistled phrases delivered from inside cover, often with rising and falling sequences. Phrases are pure-toned and musical, carrying well through humid forest, and may be repeated in measured bouts at dawn.
Plumage
Compact wren with dark brown upperparts and a rich chestnut wash across the breast extending onto the belly. Tail is short and subtly barred, and the wings show fine dusky barring. The face is dusky-brown with a faint pale eyebrow and slightly paler throat blending into the chestnut breast.
Diet
Primarily consumes small arthropods such as insects and spiders gleaned from leaf litter, stems, and mossy logs. It probes and picks methodically in shadowed nooks, occasionally sallying short distances to snatch prey. Small berries may be taken opportunistically when available, but animal prey dominates.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense bamboo, vine tangles, and along damp ravines within mature or secondary cloud forest. Often forages within one to two meters of the ground, using cover for protection.
