Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis)

Formerly known as the “short-billed marsh wren,” the sedge wren is a small brown songbird with dark brown vertical streaking on the crown and back. The wings, rump, and tail are brown with dark horizontal barring. The underparts and undertail coverts are buffy. The bill is short, thin, and slightly decurved, and there is an inconspicuous pale eye stripe. Sexes are similar in plumage, although males are slightly larger than females. Juveniles resemble adults, but are darker above, buffer below, and have less conspicuous streaking on the head. Like other wrens, the tail is short and often held upwards. The diminutive sedge wren is extremely secretive and is often heard rather than seen. The insect-like song consists of three introductory notes, “tchip, tchip, tchip,” followed by a trill, “tchu, tchu, tchu.” The call note is a “tchip” or “chick.”