Pacific Wren
July 2011 – Olympic National Park, WA
These birds are part of the essential character of the northwest rainforests. Their bubbling complex song sounds like a poetic thesis given in some alien language. They often perch atop stumps like this one to advertise their presence. It’s astounding that so much volume can come from such a tiny thing.
So… the wizards that decide these things have decided that this bird is no longer the “Winter Wren”, which is indigenous to the eastern US. Instead, they’ve been reclassified as “Pacific Wren”. Ok… I suppose I can see the reasoning, but now do I have to update everything I’ve ever written about them? It’s like being told that your brother, who you’ve known all your life is not named Bob, it’s Jim.