Rock Wren

Salpinctes obsoletus

Lines its nest entrance with a pavement of small stones. The only bird with a driveway.

Population: ~4-6 million mature individuals globally (a ~4.1 million PIF-derived estimate and commonly cited ~6.4 million PIF figures both appear in secondary sources); declining, with a documented ~13% decline in the US/Canada portion of the population 2010-2020
Habitat: Arid, rocky open terrain — canyons, cliffs, talus slopes, eroded sandbanks, and exposed rock outcrops from near sea level up to ~3,600 m, most common below 2,000 m
Fun fact: Rock Wrens build a distinctive "walkway" or pavement of small flat stones (averaging ~230 stones per nest, ~3.1 g each) leading up to their rock-crevice nest entrance — a nest-construction behavior unique among North American songbirds.
Range: Western North America, breeding from British Columbia and the western/central US south through Mexico (including Baja California, Guadalupe and San Benito Islands) and Central America to Costa Rica and Panama; year-round resident across much of the western/southwestern range; rare vagrant to eastern North America
Diet: Primarily insects and other arthropods (beetles, weevils, leafhoppers, ants, spiders), shifting to more seeds/grain in autumn and winter
Size: 0.14 m
Wingspan: 0.23 m
Lifespan: 9 years

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