The tepui wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela, where it inhabits high tablelands called tepuis.
Region
Guiana Highlands
Typical Environment
Occurs on tepui summits and upper slopes in southeastern Venezuela, western Guyana, and adjacent northern Brazil. It favors elfin and montane scrub, rocky outcrops with scattered shrubs, and edges of cloud forest. The species often forages among bromeliads, mossy boulders, and dense tangles near cliffs. It is typically patchy, tracking suitable microhabitats on isolated mountaintops.
Altitude Range
1200–2600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named for the tepuis—ancient tabletop mountains of the Guiana Highlands—this wren is adapted to cool, windswept, rocky plateaus and elfin forests. Its loud, ringing song carries far across the sparse shrublands that cap these isolated summits. The fragmented, island-like nature of tepui habitats has shaped its distribution and likely limits gene flow between populations.
Temperament
skulking and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between low perches
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups, keeping low in dense cover and rocky crevices. Pairs maintain territories and likely remain bonded year-round. Nests are domed or globular and tucked into cavities, dense shrubs, or bromeliad clumps.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, musical series of ringing trills and whistles delivered from exposed rocks or shrub tops. Calls include sharp chips and chatters used in pair contact and territorial exchanges.
