The Wrentit, Chamaea fasciata, is a small Californian bird that lives in chapparal and bushland. It is the only species in the genus Chamaea (Gambel, 1847).

It is the subject of taxomomic debate, being placed in many different families by different authors for as long as science has been aware of it. Its name reflects the uncertainty, and its resemblance to both tits and wrens.

The Wrentit has been variously placed in its own family, the Chamaeidae, with the bushtits (Aegithalidae), the tits and chickadees (Paridae), the Old World warblers, Sylviidae, and most recently with the Old World babblers (Timaliidae). The AOU places it in the latter family, (making Wrentit the only New World babbler).

Description

The Wrentit is a small (15 cm) bird with uniform dull olive, brown or grayish plumage. It has short wings and a long tail often held high (hence the comparison to wrens). It has a short bill and a pale iris. Given the wrentit's shy nature and loud voice it is usually detected by its call.

Behaviour and Range

The Wrentit is a sedentary (non-migratory) resident of western coast North America, living in California, Baja California, Oregon and Washington. It is usually restricted to scrub and certain types of woodland. It nests in 1 m high shrubs such as poison oak, coyote bush and Californian blackberry. Logging and other changes in habitat have led to this species expanding its range recently, particularly northwards.

Wrentits mate for life, pairing up only a few months after hatching. Both birds build the nest, a four stage process that takes about two weeks. 3 or 4 eggs are laid, these are incubated for 14 days, again by both birds. The chicks fledge after 15 days, at this stage they are unable to fly and are fed by their parents for another 40 days.

The Wrentit feeds by skulking through dense scrub gleaning exposed insects found by sight. It feeds on beetles, caterpillars, bugs, ants, also taking small berries and seeds.

References

• Geupel, G. R., and G. Ballard. 2002. Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata). In The Birds of North America, No. 654 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.