| Wrentit | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Paradoxornithidae |
| Genus: | Chamaea Gambel, 1847 |
| Species: | C. fasciata |
| Binomial name | |
| Chamaea fasciata (Gambel, 1845) | |
 | |
Thewrentit (Chamaea fasciata) is a smallbird that lives inchaparral,oak woodlands, and bushland on the western coast ofNorth America. It is theonly species in thegenusChamaea.
Itssystematics have been the subject of much debate, the wrentit having been placed in many differentfamilies by different authors for as long as it has been known to science. Its common name reflects the uncertainty, and its external resemblance to bothtits andwrens. It is not related to either, however. More recent and comprehensive phylogenetic studies support it belonging to theparrotbills.
The wrentit is a small, 15 cm (5.9 in) bird with uniform dull olive, brown, or grayishplumage. It has short wings and a long tail often held high (hence the comparison to wrens). It has a shortbill and a pale iris. Given its retiring nature and loud voice, the wrentit is more likely to be detected by its call than by sight. The distinct sound that it makes is similar to the sound of a ping-pong ball falling on the table.
The wrentit has been variously placed in its own family, the Chamaeidae, or with thelong-tailed tits (Aegithalidae), the true tits and chickadees (Paridae), the "Old World warblers" (Sylviidae), and with the "Old World babblers" (Timaliidae). TheAmerican Ornithologists' Union places the wrentit in the latter family, giving it the distinction of being the only babbler known from theNew World.[2] This is based onDNA–DNA hybridization studies,[3] which arephenetic, however, and therefore not considered methodologically adequate today.[citation needed]
ThroughDNA sequence analysis, it was subsequently discovered that the wrentit was more closely allied toSylvia warblers and some aberrant "babblers".[4][5] These consequently must be placed in the familySylviidae together with the wrentit and theparrotbills which also turned out to be close relatives. Thus, the wrentit is the only American species of the "true" or sylviid warblers. Peculiarly, theDartford warbler and close relatives likeMarmora's warbler bear an uncanny resemblance to the wrentit;[6][7] their ecology is quite similar indeed, as all are birds ofMediterranean scrub. However,biogeography and the molecular data build a strong case for this similarity being a case ofconvergent evolution between birds that are close relatives but by far not as close as their appearance would suggest.
Alice Cibois suggested that as some babblers are closer to typical warblers than these are tomarsh-warblers for example, the Sylviidae should be merged into the Timaliidae.[8] As such an abolishing of thesenior synonym would require a formalInternational Commission on Zoological Nomenclature ruling and the typical warblers and relatives are still amonophyletic group at present, this proposal is not advanced by most researchers until the remaining Sylviidae and Timaliidae genera are studied as regards their relationships.[citation needed]
In 2019, a major taxonomic revision of species formerly classified as "babblers" recoveredChamaea as being most closely allied with theparrotbills andfulvettas, which are otherwise an exclusively Asian group. Due to their phylogenetic and morphological distinctiveness, the familyParadoxornithidae was revived for this group, including the wrentit.[9]
The wrentit is a sedentary (non-migratory) resident of a narrow strip of coastal habitat along the western coast ofNorth America, being found fromOregon south throughCalifornia, toBaja California, the northern state of theBaja California peninsula.
It is usually restricted to certainchaparral and woodlandhabitats. It nests in 1 metre (3 ft) high shrubs such aspoison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum),coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis) andCalifornia blackberry (Rubus ursinus). Logging and other changes in habitat have led to this species expanding its range recently, particularly northwards.
Wrentits mate for life, forming pair bonds only a few months after hatching. Both sexes sing; the faster rhythm of the male's song is one of the few ways to differentiate the sexes. Both sexes also defend their territory year-round and participate in building the nest, a four-stage process that takes about two weeks. The three or four eggs are incubated for 14 days, again by both sexes. The chicksfledge after 15 days (at which stage they are unable to fly) and are fed by their parents for another 40 days.
The wrentit feeds by skulking through dense scrubgleaning exposed insects found by sight. It feeds primarily onbeetles,caterpillars, bugs, andants, but also takes small berries and seeds.
