Bewick's Wren, Waller County
Bewick’s wrens nest throughout western Texas. In the east, however, they are restricted to the winter season. Eastern birds are reddish-brown, and are believed to be of the nominate race
bewickii. These eastern birds are never common, but in certain areas they can be found in a specific micro-habitat. In eastern Waller and Colorado counties, Bewick’s wrens are found in huisache thickets. Eastern palm warblers, ash-throated flycatchers, and blue-gray gnatcatchers are often found in the same feeding flocks. There are still significant huisache thickets in Waller County (such as around Monaville). These “huisache” birds respond well to pishing and whistled owl calls.
The challenge faced in the southern Great Plains is trying to determine which Bewick’s population a given bird belongs to. The racial differences between the various Bewick’s populations are disputed. There is no doubt that bewickii is the bird of the east, but exactly where does bewickii stop and cryptus begin? For example, the birds in Waller County are not as rufescent as some birds seen in traditional bewickii territory. On the other hand, they are clearly more brown than cryptus from the west. Could these two overlap?
