Winter Wren
(Troglodytes hiemalis)

Overview

Summary

© Jukka Jantunen
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The Winter Wren is an abundant and widespread species in Canada’s mature and old growth coniferous forests, ranging from the east coast to the Rockies. Prior to 2010, the Pacific Wren (west of the Rockies), the Winter Wren and the Eurasian Wren (Eurasia) were considered to be one holarctic species. They are now considered separate species (Chesser et al. 2010). Historically, populations of the Winter Wren were greatly reduced as a result of extensive logging and forest fragmentation during the 1800s and 1900s (Hejl et al. 2002). However, both the Breeding Bird Survey and the Christmas Bird Count indicate that numbers have increased relative to about 1970. Canadian responsibility for this species is very high, since the majority of the population breeds in Canada. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• Sibley Maps
• Breeding Bird Survey (BBS): Relative Abundance and Breeding Distribution (1993-2012)

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation of world population

Conservation and management

Logging and habitat fragmentation may reduce breeding densities of this interior old growth coniferous forest dweller (Raphael et al. 1988), though effects are not always clear (Freemark et al. 1995, Schmiegelow et al. 1997). Populations can be sharply reduced by severe winters and may take several years to recover (Holmes and Sherry 1988).

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Chesser, R.T., R.C. Banks, F.K. Barker, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, W.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz and K. Winker. 2010. Fifty-first supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union check-list of North American birds. Auk 127:726−744. Chesser, R.T., R.C. Banks, F.K. Barker, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, W.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz and K. Winker. 2010. Fifty-first supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union check-list of North American birds. Auk 127:726−744. (Link)
• Freemark, K.E., J.B. Dunning, S.J. Hejl and J.R. Probst. 1995. A landscape ecology perspective for research, conservation, and management. pp. 381-427. In: Ecology and Management of Neotropical Migratory Birds (T.E. Martin and D.M. Finch, Eds.). Oxford Univiversity Press, New York.
• Hejl, S.J., J.A. Holmes and D.E. Kroodsma. 2002. Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Hejl, S.J., J.A. Holmes and D.E. Kroodsma. 2002. Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
• Holmes, R. T. and T. W. Sherry. 1988. Assessing population trends of New Hampshire forest birds: local vs. regional patterns. Auk 105: 756–768.
• Raphael, M.G., K.V. Rosenberg and B.G. Marcot. 1988. Large-scale changes in bird populations of Douglas-Fir forests, northwestern California. Bird Conservation 3:63-83.
• Schmiegelow, F.K.A., C.S. Machtans and S.J. Hannon. 1997. Are boreal birds resilient to forest fragmentation? An experimental study of short-term community responses. Ecology 78: 1914-1932.