House Wren

House Wren

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House Wren nest

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A frequent visitor to birdhouses, the House Wren is a common sight and sound in backyards across the country. The suburban-loving little brown bird often takes over all the birdhouses in its general vicinity, keeping all other species from using them.

Description

• Small brown songbird.
• Moderately short tail often held cocked over back.
• Thin pointed bill.

• Size: 11-13 cm (4-5 in)
• Wingspan: 17 cm (7 in)
• Weight: 10-12 g (0.35-0.42 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes alike.

Sound

Song a bubbling musical series of complicated whistled notes and trills. Call a sharp "chek."

Conservation Status

Populations have increased over the long- and short-term across the continent.

Other Names

Troglodyte familier (French)
Chivirín saltapared (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The House Wren will puncture eggs of other species nesting in nest boxes. Sometimes it breeds in a usurped nest box; other times it is nesting nearby.

• Male House Wrens returning to the North to breed in their first year are more likely to settle close to an established male than farther from it. Experienced males tend to settle farther apart. Young males may take clues from more experienced males about what areas are good nesting sites.

• The House Wren has one of the largest ranges of any songbird in the New World. It breeds from Canada, through the West Indies, through Central America, southward to the southernmost point of South America. Some of the subspecies living south of the United States have been considered as separate species.

• When a male House Wren claims a cavity for nesting he begins bringing sticks. He may put more than 400 sticks into one cavity. When a female pairs with the male she takes over nest building and adds the nest cup and lining.

Sources used to construct this page:

Johnson, L. S. 1998. House Wren (Troglodytes aedon). In The Birds of North America, No. 380 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.