"Pacific" Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes pacificus), Pine Mountain Wilderness, Nelson Place, Yavapai County

This Pacific Winter Wren was discovered and photographed by Stig Tjotta on 17 January 2009.

For discussion of the status and identification of the two forms of Winter Wren see earlier post here.  Eastern and Pacific Winter Wrens are likely to be split into separate species in the future, so the ABC is requesting reports of both forms to clarify their status in the state.  It is generally assumed that Pacific Wren is more regular in the state and Eastern Winter Wren is rare, but documentation is needed to clarify this. 

This bird shows the classic warm brown throat and lack of dorsal spotting that is supposed to be characteristic of Pacific Winter Wren. 

17 January 2009, photo by Stig Tjotta

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