THE CREAGRUS CALIFORNIA LIST
A personal portfolio
all photos & text by Don Roberson
all photos taken in California
SEDGE WREN Cistothorus platensis
7 Dec 2002 at Half Moon Bay SB, S.M.

This Sedge Wren was discovered by Peter Metropulos while scouting for a Christmas bird count. This bird's extreme scarcity in California may reflect the difficulty of finding this furtive wren more than its true rarity; in many situations it acts like a mouse. This Half Moon Bay bird called frequently (a thin, often doubled, 'tschip-tschip') but was exceptionally difficult to see; these are very lucky photos. They do show some key characters, including the shortish bill (compared to Marsh Wren), the very buffy flanks and underparts, the relatively plain face, and, perhaps as important as any character, barred upperwing coverts.

SEDGE WREN is a rare California vagrant with just 7 records, including the bird shown above. Five were fall migrants in Oct-Nov (4 on the coast, one in Death Valley vicinity) plus the San Mateo Co. bird which could be a late migrant or may winter. The exception to this pattern was a singing male on territory for a month in summer 1986 in Little Shasta Valley SIS. That bird was discovered by Ray Ekstrom while undertaking a Breeding Bird Survey. Thus both birds I've seen were the result of good birders undertaking useful projects for the greater good. These are my personal Sedge Wren records:

6/10/86    Little Shasta Valley SIS    singing male; sketch & description in my notes
12/7/02    Half Moon Bay SB, S.M.    photos & description in my notes
See the family page for county abbreviations. All photos & text © 2002 Don Roberson; all rights reserved.
Readers may use this material for their own private enjoyment, study, or research but none of the photos or text herein may be used commercially nor may they be reposted on other web sites without written permission. All material is copyrighted. The posting of photos and text on this private web site is not a submission to review organizations. However, blanket permission for use of descriptions by North American Birds editors in their research is granted, and serious researchers in general are granted permission to use the records cited herein.

TOP

TO CA WRENS PAGE

TO HOME PAGE

TO CREAGRUS CALIFORNIA LIST PORTAL PAGE

TO BIRD FAMILIES OF THE WORLD

Page created 9 Dec 2002