Marsh Wrens exhibit considerable geographic variation. They may be divided into three subspecies groups.
- Coastal Pacific [paludicola Group]
- Interior West [plesius Group]
- Eastern [palustris Group]
Eastern birds have smaller song repertoires than the two western groups and probably constitute a separate species.
Interior birds are generally paler and grayer than Coastal Pacific birds.
This individual is in the plesius Group and is decidedly paler than the birds which breed in our local area
(San Francisco Bay Region). Birds from this group are more migratory than the coastal birds and some individuals
winter along the coast where they are sometimes confused with other species.
Marsh Wrens are usually polygamous with single males building multiple nests in the hope of attracting multiple
females.
Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LZ5 | Nikon FieldScope III | 30XWA | hand-held (no adapter)