Niceforo’s Wren

Niceforo's wren (Thryophilus nicefori) is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Colombia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss. In Spanish the bird is known as Cucarachero de Nicéforo or Cucarachero del Chicamocha. == Taxonomy == Niceforo's wren was first formally described in 1946 by the American ornithologist Rodolphe Meyer de Schauensee. The genus name derives from the Ancient Greek thruon - reed, and philos - loving. The species name commemorates Brother Nicéforo María, a Colombian missionary and herpetologist who provided Meyer de Schauensee with many specimens. The type-locality site is San Gil on the río Fonce south of Bucaramanga, in Santander, where ten specimens were collected between 1944 and 1948. Previously considered part of the genus Thryothorus and frequently treated as a subspecies of Rufous-and-white wren (Thryophilus rufalbus), Niceforo's wren is currently regarded as a full species. It is monotypic - there are no recognized subspecies. == Description == A medium-sized wren, averaging 14.5–15 cm (5.7–5.9 in) in length. Adult birds are dull olive-grey on the head and mantle, becoming slightly more rufescent on the back. The wings are finely barred, with more broad…