Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) [XC500673]
by Ron Overholtz from 4.7km NW of Vandalia, Valley County, Montana, United States (song)
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) [XC289010]
by James Bradley from Marymoor Park, King County, Washington, United States (song)
Subspecies
Sometimes placed in a monotypic genus Telmatodytes, but probably closely related to Merida Wren (Cistothorus meridae) and Apolinar's Wren (Cistothorus apolinari). Recent studies of song types suggest that western subspecies ("paludicola group", also including browningi, pulverius, plesius, aestuarinus, clarkae and deserticola) constitute a separate species from northern and eastern ones ("nominate group"); this possibility supported by DNA studies of populations in limited area of sympatry, where there appears to be an effective reproductive isolation even in habitats where individuals of each song type co-exist. Affinities of isolated central Mexican subspecies tolucensis uncertain. Further study is required.
The following 16 subspecies are recognised:
browningi Rea, 1986 - Extreme south-western Canada (south-western British Columbia) southern in western USA to central Washington. Non-breeding also to south-western Washington.
paludicola Baird, SF, 1864 - South-western Washington and north-western Oregon.
pulverius (Aldrich, 1946) - Breeds from central British Columbia and central Idaho south to north-eastern California and north-western Nevada. Non-breeding north-western Oregon and central California south to central Mexico and southern Texas.
plesius Oberholser, 1897 - Breeds from south-eastern Idaho south to central Colorado and New Mexico. Non-breeding central California, Nevada and Kansas south to central Mexico.
aestuarinus (Swarth, 1917) - Central California (Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys to San Joaquin delta). Non-breeding also west to California coast.
clarkae Unitt, Messer & Théry, 1996 - Coastal southern California (Los Angeles south to San Diego).
deserticola Rea, 1986 - Interior of southern California.
laingi (Harper, 1926) - Breeds south-central Canada (northern Alberta and central Saskatchewan east to south-eastern Manitoba) and extreme northern USA (north-eastern Montana). Non-breeding southern USA (southern Texas) and Mexico (south to eastern Jalisco, Oaxaca and central Veracruz).
iliacus (Ridgway, 1903) - Breeds from Manitoba and south-western Ontario southern in USA to eastern Kansas and Missouri. Non-breeding southern USA (eastern from south-eastern Texas) and interior Mexico (southern as far as Tlaxcala).
dissaeptus Bangs, 1902 - Breeds from southern Ontario south to northern Ohio, West Virginia and southern New England. Non-breeding south to southern Florida and eastern Mexico (south to Veracruz).
palustris (Wilson, 1807) - Breeds eastern USA (from Rhode Island south to coastal Virginia and Potomac Valley). Non-breeding from New Jersey south to South Carolina, sparsely to Florida.
waynei (Dingle & Sprunt Jr, 1932) - Coasts of southern Virginia and North Carolina.
griseus Brewster, 1893 - Coastal marshes from north-eastern South Carolina south to north-eastern coast of Florida.
thryophilus (Oberholser, 1903) - Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana.
marianae Scott, 1888 - Gulf coast from Mississippi east to Florida.
tolucensis (Nelson, 1904) - Central Mexico (Hidalgo and México south to Puebla).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet