The Munchique wood wren (Henicorhina negreti) is a member of the wren family (Troglodytidae) that was described as new to science in 2003. It is found in the Western Andes of Colombia.
Taxonomy and systematics
The Munchique wood wren was first observed by Steven Hilty in the 1980s and not described until detailed studies by Paul Salaman, Paul Coopmans, Thomas Donegan, and others in 2000. Morphological and especially vocal differences set it apart from the widespread grey-breasted wood wren (Henicorhina leucophrys) that occurs at lower elevations on the same mountain slope. It is closely related to the grey-breasted wood wren and is probably derived from it. The species' scientific name honors Álvaro José Negret, a Colombian ornithologist who died in 1998. The Munchique wood wren is monotypic.
Description
The Munchique wood wren is long and weighs . The adult has a dark brown crown with blackish marks, a thin white supercilium, a dull black line from the lores through the eye, and blackish cheeks with whitish mottling. Its upperparts are a slightly brighter brown than the crown and its tail is brown with black bars. The throat is white, streaked with black at its lower edge. The breast is medium gray, the belly a lighter gray, and the flanks and vent area brown. The abdomen and flanks have dark gray to black bars. The juvenile is much darker than the adult and does not have the abdominal barring.