Cistothorus palustris
(Marsh Wren)

Physical Description:
4-5 1/2" (10-14 cm). Brown above with some black and white flecking; white eyebrow; white breast with buff streaks that fades to a buff belly. Long, gray bill tipped with black; black eyes.

Similar Species- Bewick's Wren

Song:
Song is a bubbly, trill-like chattering.

Distribution:
Breeds from central British Columbia, east across southern Canada to New Brunswick, and south to southern California, northern Mexico, Texas, Gulf Coast, and Florida. Breeds locally in interior United States. Winters in coastal areas thorughout breeding range, and in interior from southern U.S. to southern Mexico. Regularly winters in southern Idaho.

Habitat:
Found in freshwater and brackish marshes in cattails, tule, bulrushes, and reeds.

Diet:
Eats mainly insects and other invertebrates.

Ecology:
Builds spherical nest in reeds. Adults may destroy eggs and young of conspecifics and of other marsh-nesting passerines. Species may be excluded form areas of marsh by Yellow-headed Blackbird. Territory size may reach several hundred square meters.

Reproduction:
Female incubates 3-10 eggs 9commonly 5-6), for 12-16 days. Young leave nest at 11-16 days, but are still fed by adult. Female produces 2-3 broods/yr. In most populations, males are polygynous.

Conservation:

Element Code:	ABPBG10020
Status:	Protected nongame species
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S5
National Rank:	N5B,N5N

Important State References:
No references are available at this time.