Jeffco: interesting dark "stub-tailed" wren

[David Gillilan]

Yesterday afternoon I found a very dark, non-vocalizing stub-tailed wren along the creek at "Raccoon Hollar" nature park in Littleton. In the last couple of years I have heard and seen numerous winter wrens in the northeastern states, and numerous Pacific wrens in the northwestern states, and this wren gave me a strong first impression of being Pacific: dark ruddy brown on both upper and lower parts, including the neck and cheeks, with only slightly lighter contrast on the throat/upper breast unlike the lighter gray/buffy typically shown by winter wrens. However, closer examination of field marks yielded a few that might be more suggestive of winter wren: bright/light supercilium, dark barring on its flanks that appeared to extend up to the lower breast/sides, and very contrasting light spots along the primaries of the folded wing. The bird was seen in good light, in the open, at relatively close range with binoculars, for a few continuous minutes. Given the much greater prevalence of winter rather than Pacific wrens in Colorado, I think most likely this bird was a winter wren, but if so, certainly the darkest/ruddiest winter wren I have ever seen. I did not refind the bird this morning when hoping to find it vocalizing, but that's not entirely surprising given the nature of stub-tailed wrens and their habitat.

For anyone wanting to look for this bird, Raccoon Hollar is a small strip park extending along a portion of Raccoon Creek, starting off of W. Fair Drive just NE of its intersection with W. Leawood Dr., in unincorporated Littleton. The signed park and walking trail follow the creek downstream to the SE, ending at the intersection of W. Leawood Dr. and S. Sheridan Ave. (With reference to arterial roads, the park is just about dead center in the area bordered by W. Bowles to the north, W. Coal Mine to the south, S. Pierce to the west, and S. Platte Canyon to the east.) The wren was seen about halfway down the park, approximately 50 feet NW of the foot bridge across the creek, near a signed entry point/station to the park, in and immediately adjacent to the mostly iced-over stream channel, particularly close to the tree trunk extending across the very narrow channel almost touching the ice at that location.

David Gillilan
Littleton