Sedge wren

The sedge wren was described by the German ornithologist Johann Friedrich Naumann in 1823 under the binomial name Troglodytes stellaris. The type locality is Carolina. The current genus Cistothorus was introduced by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1850. The sedge wren and the grass wren were formerly treated as conspecific. They were split based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014. The sedge wren was formerly known as the short-billed marsh wren but was renamed to better distinguish it from the marsh wren. == Description ==

The sedge wren is a relatively small wren that measures , weighs and has a wing-chord of . Wingspan ranges from 4.7 to 5.5 in (12-14 cm). Females and males have the same plumage but males are slightly larger. Their head and back are tawny brown streaked with black and white. They have a pale buff supercilium and brown irises. Their rump is orange and tail is tawny brown bared with black. Wings are tawny brown bared with black, white and pale buff. They have a white throat and belly with pale buff on the side. Their beak is long and slender. and measures on average 6.77 to 6.95 mm The upper mandible of the beak is brown while the lower mandible is yellow. They have pink legs and feet. Juveniles are overall similar to adults but have less streaking on the head and nape and their chest is paler than adults. The sedge wren can be differentiated from the similar marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris) by its smaller size, streaked crown and different song. == Distribution and habitat ==

Distribution During the breeding season they are found in the southern half of Alberta and Saskatchewan and in southern Ontario and Quebec in Canada and in the United States, west of the Appalachians, from the Canadian border to Missouri and northern Arkansas. During migration and winter they are found from the southern half of Arkansas down to Texas and Florida. and drier habitat such as dry prairies. During winter, migratory sedge wrens can be found in a variety of habitat as long as there are sufficient insects to eat. For example, they can be found in pine savannas, dry prairies, meadows, marshes, and bogs. == Behavior ==

Vocalizations Songs usually last 1.5 to 2 seconds and start with 3 to 4 high notes or staccato chips followed by a series of thrills. They sing both during the day and the night. They breed where moist meadows and grasslands are available and they may not return to the same locations the next year if conditions are not right. They leave their wintering grounds between early April and mid-May and usually arrive at their breeding grounds between mid-April and mid-May. They will typically leave their breeding grounds when frost reduces significantly the abundance of insects. They depart anywhere from August in the northern part of their range to the end of October in the central states to arrive in their wintering grounds starting in early September. Polygynous males are usually more successful than monogamous males because breeding with multiple females increases their number of offspring. Females usually lay seven eggs but it can vary from one to ten eggs which she incubates for 12–16 days. The eggs are oval shaped with no markings and measure on average . The young hatchlings are altricial. The females do most of the parental care and feeding whilst the males continue to build nests and display for other females. However, males will also occasionally feed the young. The young leave the nest after 11–16 days. Some early breeding females can also have a second brood later in the season. ==References==