Catherpes mexicanus
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The canyon wren (Catherpes mexicanus) is a small North American songbird of the wren family Troglodytidae. A non-migratory species, these birds are found throughout western North America in dry, rocky environments such as cliffs, outcrops, and canyons. It is a small bird that is hard to see on its rocky habitat, and is often located by its loud distinctive song. It is currently in a monotypic taxon and is the only species in the genus Catherpes.
The canyon wren's genus name, Catherpes, derives from the Greek word "kathero", meaning to creep down: a reference to its tendency to cling to vertical walls. Its species name, mexicanus, refers to the country of Mexico, where it is widely found.
The taxonomy of the species has been altered and debated for many years. Originally in the genus Thryothorus, it was moved into the genus Salpinctes along with the rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus), where some researchers still place it. As of 2025, the species is in the only species in the genus Catherpes.
Latest scientific consensus acknowledges 8 valid subspecies of Catherpes mexicanus: C. mexicanus cantator C. mexicanus conspersus C. mexicanus croizati C. mexicanus griseus C. mexicanus... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 12 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 14 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Canyon Wren sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 186 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 89th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, April–May and November–December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Canyon Wren in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March and June–October, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Canyon Wren sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
9th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Canyon Wren sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Big Bend National Park (United States, about 40%), Zion National Park (United States, about 40%) and Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Troglodytidae
The closest relatives of the Canyon Wren that you can see in Yosemite National Park (family Troglodytidae, Wrens) are House Wren (about 10%), Pacific Wren (about 10%) and Rock Wren (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Canyon Wren is recorded against all the birds logged in Yosemite National Park (186 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.
