Happy Wren, Pheugopedius felix

Happy Wren, Pheugopedius felix sonorae. Photograph taken within the greater Alamos area, Sonora, April 2018. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

The Happy Wren, Pheugopedius felix sonorae, is one of five subspecies of Happy Wren, with all five being found in western Mexico. They are a member of the Troglodytidae Family of Wrens which has eighty-six members placed in nineteen genera, and one of twelve global species in the Pheugopedius Genus. They are known in Mexico as chivirín feliz and saltapared feliz.

The Happy Wren is a mid-sized wren. The sexes are similar. They have a white supercilium, contrasting black sides of face and of neck with prominent white markings. Their crown and upper back deep reddish-brown, becoming paler on lower back, their shoulders, primaries and secondaries rufous-brown, their rectrices are brown to greyish-brown with darker bars. Their underparts are a warm buff. They have a pure white chin and throat with a narrow black malar stripe. Their bill is black with a gray base, their iris is dark brown, that their legs are dark gray.

The Happy Wren are normally non-migratory with some populations known to make vertical movements to higher elevations. They are found within the understory of tropical deciduous forests and forest edges, scrub, secondary growth and plantations. They are ground foragers that consume invertebrates, including beetles, caterpillars, bugs, hymenopterans and some vegetable matter, including fruit. Their nests are a retort-shaped bag of grass and fibers, built over a twig so that entrance hangs over one side and pouch over the other; frequently sited next to wasp nest that is defended by the aggressive symbiotic ant Pseudomyrmicus, which provide protection from terrestrial predators. The Happy Wren has been poorly studied and very limited information about their behavioral patterns and biology has been documented.

The Happy Wren is mutually territorial and can be confused with the Sinaloa Wren, Thryophilus sinaloa (less defined facial pattern buff underparts). Each species reacts to the other’s song.

The Happy Wren is ENDEMIC to western Mexico and are common and widespread. They are found from Sonora south along the Pacific Slope to western Oaxaca at elevations up to 2,000 m (6,600 feet). The sonorae subspecies is found throughout Sonora south to northern Sinaloa.

From a conservation perspective the Happy Wren is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable widely distributed populations. They are able to tolerate human disturbance. However, the lawrencei subspecies, found on Isla María Madre in the Islas Tres Marías has received special protection under Mexican law. Their long-term viability is threatened by habitat loss.