ML148347341

Observation details

Continuing bird along ditch about one mile south of Valle de Oro parking. Immediately adjacent to where the south most trail into the Bosque spurs off from the ditch. (34.9588807, -106.6811933). Originally reported as Pacific Wren but I suspect it is a Winter (though I’d be very happy to be wrong). The best way to tell these similar species apart is by their single or double noted calls and unfortunately, this bird wasn't giving that up. It was however, singing a somewhat subdued and abbreviated song, showing well, and twice gave a short alarm rattle. I don't know that I have enough experience to separate these species visually except in the most extreme cases, but this individual seemed closer to what I'd expect from a Winter Wren than a Pacific. The overall color was gray/brown and though there were some more rich tones in the upper parts and perhaps in the breast, it seemed overall cold and drab, particularly on the crown which was almost a flat gray color. Additionally there seemed to be extensive mottling and streaking on the sides of the face, neck, and breast that seem to point towards Winter Wren. I know there's supposed to be some differences in the tertial and primary patterns, but I couldn't sort that one out enough to say anything about it. The song, for what it's worth given that it wasn't a full song, sounded to me more musical than would be expected from Pacific, with fewer trills and rattles and more separate notes. I have heard a lot of Pacific Wrens but very few Winter Wrens singing and the songs are objectively very similar so I am no expert but my feeling was that the song supports Winter more than Pacific. Also, the bird was responsive to both Winter and Pacific Wren songs from Xeno-canto and Sibley app. (As was a nearby Bewick's Wren). I don't ever put much stock into how responsive a bird is to tape for this reason. The rattle call (heard only twice) was for me the most convincing argument for Winter Wren. The extremely rapid series of hard staccato notes given by this bird seem harder, lower, and much more wren-like then compared to the almost Wilson's Warbler-like calls of Pacific Wren. When given in a fast series like this it recalls a bubbly HOWR almost. In my experience, these rapid ratchet calls are less obviously diagnostic than the typical single or double call notes these species give but are different enough to tell apart. In summary, I really didn't observe anything that suggested to me this wasn't a Winter Wren. Everything I did see and hear supports that conclusion and given that Winter Wren is more regular here, I don't see any reason to suspect that it was a Pacific. Hopefully I'm wrong. :)