Microcerculus marginatus
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
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 →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Scaly-breasted Wren sighting in Volcán Barú National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 226th most-seen of the 296 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scaly-breasted Wren in Volcán Barú National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months. That is one of Volcán Barú National Park's wettest months, with about 390 mm of rain against 70 mm in February.
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.
23rd of 29
Of the 29 parks where we can rate Scaly-breasted Wren sightings, Volcán Barú National Park ranks 23rd 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%).
Same family: Troglodytidae
The closest relatives of the Scaly-breasted Wren that you can see in Volcán Barú National Park (family Troglodytidae, Wrens) are Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (about 60%), Ochraceous Wren (about 40%) and Southern House Wren (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scaly-breasted Wren is recorded against all the birds logged in Volcán Barú National Park (14 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.
