rock wren
noun
1A wren, Salpinctes obsoletus (family Troglodytidae), with pale underparts, found in western North America and in Central America.
2A New Zealand wren, Xenicus gilviventris (family Acanthisittidae or Xenicidae), with a very short tail, of alpine and subalpine areas of South Island.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in John James Audubon (1785–1851), naturalist and artist.