Rock Wren
Rock WrenRock WrenRock WrenRock Wren

Rock Wren

Salpinctes obsoletus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Yosemite National Park
295 Verified records at Yosemite National Park
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) is a small songbird of the wren family native to the rocky areas of western North America. There are 8 subspecies of the rock wren, one of which is extinct. They are similar in size to other wrens, with a grey-brown coat, a brown rump, and a speckled white throat. They are visually similar to the canyon wren, which they share a habitat with. They are noted for their variable song and song pattern, used for territory defense, as well as their habit of building "pavements" with flat rocks around their nest to help nestlings stay dry. Rock wrens are serially monogamous, forming pairs for nesting season. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Rock Wren sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 295 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Yosemite National Park

House Wren
LC

House Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Troglodytes aedon

10–20% · With luck
Pacific Wren
LC

Pacific Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Troglodytes pacificus

5–10% · With luck
Canyon Wren
LC

Canyon Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Catherpes mexicanus

<5% · Rare
Bewick's Wren
LC

Bewick's Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thryomanes bewickii

<5% · Rare
Marsh Wren
LC

Marsh Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cistothorus palustris

Insufficient data
Dark-eyed Junco
LC

Dark-eyed Junco

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Junco hyemalis

80–90% · Very likely
Steller's Jay
LC Endemic

Steller's Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanocitta stelleri

70–80% · Very likely
American Robin
LC Endemic

American Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus migratorius

70–80% · Very likely
Common Raven
LC

Common Raven

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus corax

70–80% · Very likely
Mountain Chickadee
LC

Mountain Chickadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Poecile gambeli

60–70% · Likely
Yellow-rumped Warbler
LC

Yellow-rumped Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga coronata

60–70% · Likely
Song Sparrow
LC Endemic

Song Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza melodia

40–50% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

5–10
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
5–10
May
10–20
Jun
10–20
Jul
10–20
Aug
5–10
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
2 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
3 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
4 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
5 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
6 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
7 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
8 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
9 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
10 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
11 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
12 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
13 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
15 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
20 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
21 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
22 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
23 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Rock Wren in Yosemite National Park?

About 8% of wildlife watchers report a Rock Wren sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 295 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Rock Wren in Yosemite National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Rock Wren in Yosemite National Park in our monthly data.

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