The House Wren complex (Troglodytes aedon s.l.) is widespread throughout the Americas. Published descriptions of more than 30 taxa since 1809 indicate the enormous variability in this species group. Because differences are gradual between the different groups, the AOS (American Ornithological Society, formerly American Ornithological Union) conservatively merged them all in the past decades, including Troglodytes musculus, the Southern House Wren, under the name House Wren (Troglodytes aedon). A recent molecular study by John Klicka and colleagues (Klicka et al. 2022) found significant differences between the Northern House Wrens (T. aedon s.str.) of North America and northern Mexico and the Southern House Wrens from southern Mexico to South America. Based on those results, AOS recognizes the Southern House Wren as a species in its 2024 update of the checklist of North- and Central American bird species. Klicka et al.'s study also found genetic variability within the range of Southern House Wren. This study is therefore a step stone in the still evolving taxonomy of the House Wren complex. Southern House Wren populations in Guatemala belong to the subspecies intermedius, occurring from southern Mexico to Costa Rica. Klicka et al. found genetic differences between this area and the very south of Central America (Panama) and South America. Thus, it appears that Southern House Wren is only a provisional name for the House Wrens in Guatemala; more detailed molecular sampling and analyses may lead in the near future to yet another change of the name.Archive of photographs of the month
Reference
Klicka, J., Epperly, K., Smith, B.T., Spellman, G.M., Chaves, J.A., Escalante, P., Witt, C.C., Canales-del-Castillo, R. & Zink, R.M. (2023) Lineage diversity in a widely distributed New World passerine bird, the House Wren. Ornithology 140: doi.org/10.1093/ornithology/ukad018.
