Bay Wren (Cantorchilus nigricapillus) [XC661034]
by Kent Livezey from El Valle de Ant\u00f3n, Cocl\u00e9 Province, Panama (song)
Bay Wren (Cantorchilus nigricapillus) [XC604888]
by Kent Livezey from Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombia (call)
Subspecies
Sometimes considered conspecific with Riverside Wren (Cantorchilus semibadius), but differs in plumage and no evidence of intergradation where ranges approach in Costa Rica and western Panama. Separation is also supported by recent DNA analyses. In addition, northern group of unbarred subspecies (costaricensis, castaneus, odicus, reditus) sometimes treated as a separate species. However, in view of intergradation of the two groups in eastern Panama, most authorities merge them into a single species, notwithstanding major plumage differences between the geographical extremes.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
costaricensis (Sharpe, 1882) - South-eastern Nicaragua (R Escondido) south through Caribbean drainage to western Panama.
castaneus (Lawrence, 1861) - Western Panama from Veraguas east to Canal Zone.
odicus (Wetmore, 1959) - Escudo de Veraguas I, off north-western Panama.
reditus (Griscom, 1932) - Caribbean slope of eastern Panama.
schottii (Baird, SF, 1864) - Eastern Panama (Darién) and north-western Colombia (Antioquia, Chocó).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet