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Glen Tepke | profile | all galleries >> New England Notables >> Sedge Wren?, Concord, Massachusetts, August 2005 tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Sedge Wren?, Concord, Massachusetts, August 2005

Field guide author David Sibley reported hearing a Sedge Wren at Great Meadows NWR in Concord, MA, on the evenening of 11 August, while he was there to investigate a reported small goose (which he identified as a Cackling Goose). The next evening a group of birders looking for both birds found this wren about half way along the dike on the right side. The bird was very secretive and stayed close to the ground, requiring patience to get a good look. I think most of those who saw the bird thought it was the Sedge Wren, with varying degrees of confidence. The alternative discussed was a juvenile Marsh Wren. Everyone agreed that the bird appeared to be quite small, smaller than a Marsh Wren. One comment on the photos: I think the barred pattern on the wing, most visible in the third photo in the top row, appeared more pronounced in real life than it does in the photos. Any thoughts on the ID would be appreciated. If it is a Sedge Wren, does the lack of white streaking on the back and crown indicate that it is a juvenile? Feel free to add your thoughts by clicking "post a comment" below.
Sedge Wren Sedge Wren Sedge Wren
Sedge Wren Sedge Wren Sedge Wren

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Glen Tepke01-Sep-2005 19:29
Clint Murray has added some more photos of Sedge Wren to his gallery, so the photo I referred to below as the first photograph is now the fourth.
Glen Tepke30-Aug-2005 00:59
Another Birds-pix member, David Seibel of Kansas, explained why he thinks this bird is a Sedge Wren on his site:

http://staff.jccc.edu/dseibel/birds/SEWR.htm

Thanks to David, Clint and Matt for the input.
Glen Tepke29-Aug-2005 23:24
I have received a few comments that this bird appears to be too dark in color to be a Sedge Wren. In response to a request for help with the ID on the Birds-pix email list, Clint Murray of Indiana sent me a link to his photographs of Sedge Wren.

http://community.webshots.com/album/408433962mWPyDe

Note that the bird in the first photograph, which I assume is a juvenile because of the lack of prominent streaks on the crown, appears to be darker than the adult birds in Clint's other photos.
Glen Tepke16-Aug-2005 04:59
Here is an analysis sent to me by Matt Garvey (posted here with his permission):

"I'm no expert on this at all, but to the extent I have a few sources handy you may not have checked, here's what I could find.

I'm pretty sure this is a sedge wren, and probably a juv based on the lack or paucity of streaking on the crown. The indistinct supercilium, very soft buff (as oppossed to reddish) on the breast (sides) and back (streaks) and wing (speckled barring very visible in photo 2), and the small size you all observed seem pretty diagnostic. I also think the back, while not clearly flecked with white streaks (though photos 3 and 4 seem to show some thin ones), shows a streaked pattern that doesn't seem right for a juv marsh wren (and most certainly not an adult one) and seems consistent with sedge wren.

Pyle does note that the crown and rump of a sedge have diagnostic white streaking on the crown and rump in all plumages (though juv has less white streaking on upperparts, especially on the crown). I'm not sure if this means that a bird w/o clear white streaking there is not a sedge, so much as only a sedge would have the streaking. I'm also not sure you can tell that this bird has absolutely none--looking at photo three, there may be a white streak or two on the crown.

One area that would be good to see is the undertail coverts; the sedge's are w/o bars, while the marsh should have some (though sibley shows them as very faint).

Plumage-wise, sedge's seem pretty much impossible to sex or age, though the general lack of white streaking seems to suggest a juv. The fact that one was singing nearby the day before, however, and that sedges can be late and sporadic in arriving at territories (the golden guide notes august arrivals), gives some room for pause--unless, of course, we're talking about a family, and not just one bird.

Forbush makes a big deal about the supercilium (or lack thereof) as a key feature distinguishing the two. While Pyle notes that a juv marsh's supercilium is less distict than an adult's, he also notes that a juv marsh would have a dark crown. I think this combo would leave a more obvious contrast than shown on your bird.

Overall, there's nothing inconsistent with sedge wren, and plenty inconsistent with marsh--no clean supercilium, a streaked back [the marsh either has the bold black/white patch in the middle (ad) or a few black streaks (juv), but not long brown/buff streaks], barring throughout the wing, and a very soft buff color on the breast sides. When you throw in the observations on size, that makes me even more comfortable calling it a sedge (though of course i have no lifer stake in the matter).

It may be interesting to compare, and possibly find a way to measure, bill legnth. forbush puts the sedge's range at .42 to .50 in; marsh's at .57 to .66. I don't have the experience to say if this is a short one."
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