Scaly-breasted Wren

Scaly-breasted Wren

Microcerculus marginatus

Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge

In 3 days <5%

5 Verified sightings at Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge From 2019 to 2026
3,915 In all 29 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Scaly-breasted Wren

The southern nightingale-wren (Microcerculus marginatus), also known as the scaly-breasted wren, is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

The southern nightingale-wren forms a species pair with the northern nightingale-wren (Microcerculus philomela) and was in the past considered conspecific with it. It is currently treated as a species in its own right by the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and the Clements taxonomy, though under different English names.

The southern nightingale-wren has the six subspecies listed below. Subspecies M. m. luscinia is treated by some taxonomists as a separate species. The nominate subspecies M. m. marginatus is also sometimes considered a separate species or even two species divided by the Amazon River.

The southern nightingale-wren's subspecies are: Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song1:10

Ecuador · 2026

© Daan van der Hoeven · XC1105458 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:48

Costa Rica · 2024

© Paul Driver · XC955372 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:58

Brazil · 2022

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC755227 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~40%
2 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
3 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
4 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
5 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
6 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
7 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
8 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
9 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
10 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
11 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
12 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
13 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
14 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
15 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
16 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
17 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
18 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
19 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
20 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
22 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
23 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
24 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
25 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
26 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
27 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
28 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
29 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Scaly-breasted Wren in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Scaly-breasted Wren sighting in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 326th most-seen of the 329 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Scaly-breasted Wren in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Scaly-breasted Wren in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Scaly-breasted Wren?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scaly-breasted 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.

Is Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge the best place to see a Scaly-breasted Wren?

25th of 29

Of the 29 parks where we can rate Scaly-breasted Wren sightings, Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge ranks 25th at under 5%. The best odds are in Henri Pittier National Park (Venezuela, about 40%), Chagres National Park (Panama, about 20%) and Chirripó National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Scaly-breasted Wren live in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge?

Same family: Troglodytidae

The closest relatives of the Scaly-breasted Wren that you can see in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (family Troglodytidae, Wrens) are Bay Wren (about 40%), Southern House Wren (about 30%) and Stripe-breasted Wren (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Scaly-breasted Wren sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Scaly-breasted Wren is recorded against all the birds logged in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (5 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.

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