Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

Southern House Wren

Troglodytes musculus

Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyTroglodytidae (Wrens)
GenusTroglodytes (Troglodytes Wrens)
SpeciesTroglodytes musculus (Southern House Wren)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Ostional Wildlife Refuge

4 Verified sightings at Ostional Wildlife Refuge From 2019 to 2026

68,687 Verified sightings across all 94 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Southern House Wren

The southern house wren (Troglodytes musculus) is a very small passerine bird in the wren family Troglodytidae. It is found from southern Mexico to southern Chile and southern Argentina. The name troglodytes means "hole dweller", and is a reference to the bird's tendency to disappear into crevices when hunting insects or to seek shelter. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the northern house wren (Troglodytes aedon).

The southern house wren was formally described in 1823 by the German naturalist Johann Andreas Naumann under the binomial name Troglodytes musculus. He specified the type locality as the state of Bahia in eastern Brazil. The specific epithet is Latin meaning "little mouse". The southern house wren was formerly considered to be part of the house wren complex that also included the northern house wren and six insular forms. The southern house wren was split from the complex based on the deep genetic divergence, differences in vocalizations and differences in morphology.

Twenty-one subspecies are recognised: T. m. intermedius Cabanis, 1861 – south Mexico (southeast Veracruz and west Chiapas) to central Costa Rica T. m. peninsularis Nelson, 1901... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Ostional Wildlife Refuge

Campylorhynchus capistratus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Thryophilus pleurostictus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Thryophilus rufalbus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Cantorchilus modestus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Quiscalus mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Setophaga petechia

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Icterus galbula

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Turdus grayi

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Megarynchus pitangua

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Calocitta formosa

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~70%
2	Tierra del Fuego National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~70%
3	Huascarán National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~70%
4	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~70%
5	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~60%
6	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~60%
7	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~60%
8	Torres del Paine National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	~60%
9	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~60%
10	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~60%
11	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
12	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~60%
13	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~60%
14	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~60%
15	Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	~50%
16	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~50%
17	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~50%
18	Nahuel Huapi National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~50%
19	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~50%
20	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~50%
21	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~50%
22	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~50%
23	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
24	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~50%
25	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
26	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
27	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
28	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
29	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~40%
30	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~40%
31	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~40%
32	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~40%
33	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~40%
34	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~40%
35	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~30%
36	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~30%
37	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~30%
38	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
39	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
40	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
41	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~30%
42	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~30%
43	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
44	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~30%
45	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
46	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
47	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
48	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
49	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
50	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
51	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
52	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~20%
53	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
54	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
55	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
56	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
57	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~20%
58	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
59	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
60	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
61	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
62	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
63	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
64	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
65	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
66	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
67	Lauca National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	~10%
68	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
69	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
70	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
71	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
72	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
73	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
74	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
75	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
76	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
77	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~10%
78	Península Valdés	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
79	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
80	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
81	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
82	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
83	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
84	Cajas National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
85	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
86	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
87	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
88	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
89	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
90	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
91	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	Insufficient data
92	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
93	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
94	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	Insufficient data

← Back to Ostional Wildlife Refuge

Southern House Wren

About the Southern House Wren

Recent sightings of Southern House Wren in Ostional Wildlife Refuge

Closest Relatives at Ostional Wildlife Refuge

Rufous-backed Wren

Banded Wren

Rufous-and-white Wren

Cabanis's Wren

Great Kiskadee

Great-tailed Grackle

Tropical Kingbird

Yellow Warbler

Baltimore Oriole

Clay-colored Thrush

Boat-billed Flycatcher

White-Throated Magpie-Jay

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found