Birds
Cobb's Wren
Troglodytes cobbi
Picking through kelp and rocks exposed by the retreating tide, Cobb’s wren survives today mainly on rat-free outer islands of the Falklands, having vanished from parts of its former range wherever introduced predators have taken hold.
Overview
Cobb’s wren, Troglodytes cobbi, is a Near Threatened bird endemic to coastal and grassland habitat across the outer islands of the Falkland Islands. Its restriction to predator-free islands, its tideline foraging habit, and its vulnerability to introduced rats and cats make it one of the more conservation-sensitive songbirds found anywhere in the South Atlantic.
A wren that reads the tide
Timing its foraging to the rhythm of the tide, Cobb’s wren has built its entire feeding strategy around the shoreline, a specialisation that works well on predator-free islands but leaves it entirely dependent on those islands remaining free of rats and cats.
Status
Near Threatened, with populations restricted to rat-free outer islands and considered stable there, having disappeared from areas where introduced predators have become established.
Cobb's Wren: common questions
Why is Cobb's wren restricted to certain islands?
This species survives mainly on smaller outer islands free of introduced rats, having disappeared from areas of the Falkland Islands where rats have become established.
How does Cobb's wren find its food?
This species forages extensively along the shoreline, picking through kelp and among rocks for invertebrates exposed by the retreating tide.
What threatens Cobb's wren?
This species faces ongoing threats from introduced rats and cats, which have eliminated the species from parts of its former range within the Falkland Islands.
Is Cobb's wren shy around people?
No, this species is relatively bold and curious around observers, a trait common among birds evolved on islands with historically few predators.