The Zapata wren is a small, energetic bird found only in a small region of swamps in western Cuba. The short wings make it a poor flier; instead the Zapata wren skulks about on long legs and is thus often hard to observe. The plumage is rather drab; brown and finely barred with black above and brownish-white below . The bill and tail are both fairly long, and when perched the tail usually points down, a position the male often takes up when singing his pleasant, loud, canary-like song. This begins with one to three sweet whistled introductory notes followed by a complex series of grating rattles and buzzes .