The Southern House Wren occurs across much of South America and parts of Central America. The species account also records it on Trinidad and Tobago; it searches shrubs and grass for small prey.
The crown and back are grey-brown, with dark bars on the wings and tail. It has a faint eye ring and eyebrow, and a thin, long bill.
It occurs in both dry and high-rainfall areas. It searches shrubs, gardens, and tall grass for spiders and cockroaches, and may climb tree trunks to take invertebrates from crevices.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.