Pheugopedius spadix
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The sooty-headed wren (Pheugopedius spadix) is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia and Panama. The sooty-headed wren was previously treated as conspecific with the black-throated wren (Pheugopedius atrogularis) but significant differences in their plumage, song, and ranges demanded their separation.
According to the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) the sooty-headed wren is monotypic. However, the Clements taxonomy, BirdLife International (BLI), and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Birds of the World recognize two subspecies, the nominate Pheugopedius spadix spadix and P. s. xerampelinus.
The sooty-headed wren is 14.5 cm (5.7 in) long. The nominate adults' crown, shoulders, and back are dull blackish and the rump bright chestnut. Their tail is chestnut with bold black bars. Much of their face is black with white streaks. Their chin and throat are black and contrast with the bright chestnut lower throat and chest. The belly is a duller grayish brown between reddish brown flanks. The juvenile is duller than the adult and has less contrast between the areas of different color. P. s. xerampelinus... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty-headed Wren sighting in Darién National Park on a given day, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 133rd most-seen of the 397 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty-headed Wren in Darién National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, June–July and October–November, the lowest months. That is one of Darién National Park's driest months, with about 160 mm of rain against 450 mm in November.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sooty-headed Wren sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Sooty-headed Wren sightings, Darién National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (Colombia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sooty-headed Wren is recorded against all the birds logged in Darién National Park (53 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
