WREN-TIT 583 



Occurrence. — Common resident on west slope of Sierra Nevada in Upper Sonoran 

 Zone. Recorded from Pleasant Valley eastward to El Portal and to Smith Creek, 6 

 miles east of Coulterville. During late summer and through the autumn a few indi- 

 viduals range eastward into Transition Zone as along walls of Yosemite Valley to head 

 of Nevada Falls and to Tenaya Canon above Mirror Lake. Lives mostly in chaparral, 

 sometimes foraging in low trees and occasionally on the ground. Usually in pairs. 



The wren-tit is a species peculiar to western North America, and is 

 further limited practically to California; indeed, it does not, as do so 

 many western birds, even have a counterpart in the eastern states. The 

 light-colored race, the Pallid Wren-tit, inhabits the chaparral belt in the 

 western foothills of the Yosemite region and at certain times of the year 

 invades the mountains as far as Yosemite Valley. The wren-tit, as its 

 name indicates, displaj'^s some obvious degree of likeness to both wrens 

 and "tits"; yet it stands so far apart from both of these groups as not 

 to be classified with either of them, save in a very broad way. 



The most outstanding feature in the wren-tit's make-up is its long 

 and slender tail which is longer than the body of the bird, rounded at 

 the end, and habitually carried up at a considerable angle with the back. 

 This character alone will usually be sufficient to distinguish the wren-tit 

 from all other local species. The wings are short and rounded, a shape 

 which usually goes with a long tail in birds which inhabit shrubbery. 

 The plumage is plain, grayish brown above and somewhat paler beneath, 

 and the body feathers are very soft and lax in texture. At close range the 

 white iris is evident and furthermore, one may then sometimes make out 

 an inconspicuous dusky streaking on the throat and chest. 



The regular niche of the Pallid Wren-tit is in the foothill chaparral, 

 beneath the crown-foliage of the brush plants and so usually not more 

 than five feet from the ground. Fully nine-tenths of the bird's existence 

 is passed in this shallow zone. Occasionally wren-tits are to be seen up 

 in oaks or other trees growing amid or close to the brush, while now and 

 then a bird will be noted on the ground, momentarily. But the three 

 essentials for the bird's life, food, shelter from enemies, and safe nesting 

 sites, are afforded in largest measure in the chaparral itself. 



Wren-tits go about regularly in pairs in winter as well as during the 

 nesting season. The young after leaving the nest accompany their parents 

 for a time and so four or five birds may be seen together. Occasionally 

 during the winter months loosely formed assemblages of six or eight are 

 noted. Wren-tits are wont to gather quickly about any disturbance in 

 the brush, but they disperse as soon as their curiosity is satisfied or the 

 cause of their concern disappears. In ordinary behavior they are sober, 

 dignified in manner, evincing little or no nervousness such as character- 

 izes the wrens. 



