Long-billed wren
Long-billed wren (Cantorchilus longirostris) is a small bird in the wren family that lives only in Brazil. It has two subspecies: Cantorchilus longirostris longirostris and Cantorchilus longirostris bahiae; some scientists think bahiae should be a separate species.
The bird is about 19–21 cm long and weighs around 20–21 g. Adults of the main subspecies have a dark brown crown and nape that become more reddish toward the rump, a reddish-brown tail with darker bars, an off-white eyebrow stripe, a brown eye stripe, and cheeks that are mottled off-white and dark gray. The throat is whitish to pale buff, the chest reddish buff, and the belly deep buff. Juveniles look similar but with less distinct facial markings. Bahiae is paler overall, with less saturated underparts. Bahiae lives farther north in eastern Brazil, from Piauí to Minas Gerais and the Atlantic coast; longirostris is found in a narrow coastal band from Bahia to eastern Santa Catarina.
The long-billed wren prefers secondary forest, edges and shrubby clearings of primary forest, mangroves, caatinga, and restinga, from sea level up to 900 m.
Its diet isn’t well studied; it probably forages alone or in pairs, mostly within about 2 meters of the ground, sometimes higher.
Breeding seems to occur during the rainy season. It builds a dome-shaped nest with a downward-facing entrance tube and also roosting “dormitory” nests. Both males and females sing, sometimes alone or in duet; their songs are loud and varied.
Conservation status: Least Concern. The species is often abundant and occurs in several protected areas.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:07 (CET).