Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) [XC620785]
by Ron Overholtz from Teotitl\u00e1n del Valle, Teotitl\u00e1n del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico (call)
Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) [XC701243]
by Ron Overholtz from Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge, Cochise County, Arizona, United States (call)
Subspecies
Probably closest to Catherpes and Hylorchilus.
Two proposed island subspecies, pulverius (from San Nicolas I and San Clemente I, off south-western California) and proximus (from San Martín I, off north-western Baja California), both considered indistinguishable from nominate. Described subspecies costaricensis (north-western Costa Rica) and fasciatus (north-western Nicaragua) merged with guttatus, but one or both possibly merit recognition. Subspecies exsul, from San Benedicto I (off west-central Mexico), extinct.
The following 8 subspecies are recognised:
obsoletus (Say, 1823) - Breeds western North America from southern British Columbia, southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan south to coastal California (including islands of San Nicolas and San Clemente), Oklahoma and western Texas, and west, northern and central Mexico from Baja California (including San Martín I) southern at higher elevations to Oaxaca; northern populations migrate to southern parts of range.
guadeloupensis Ridgway, 1876 - Guadalupe I, off western Baja California.
tenuirostris van Rossem, 1943 - San Benito, off western Baja California.
neglectus Nelson, 1897 - Highlands from southern Mexico (Chiapas) south to central Honduras.
exsul Ridgway, 1903 - San Benedicto I. (Revillagigedo Islands off southern Baja California).
guttatus Salvin & Godman, 1891 - El Salvador south to north-western Costa Rica.
fasciatus Salvin & Godman, 1891 - Highlands of north-western Nicaragua.
costaricensis van Rossem, 1941 - Highlands of north-western Costa Rica.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet