the house wren ( troglodytes aedon ) is a very small songbird of the wren family , troglodytidae .

it occurs from canada to southernmost south america , and is thus the most widely distributed bird in the americas .

it occurs in most suburban areas in its range and it is the single most common wren .

its taxonomy is highly complex and some subspecies groups are often considered separate species .

house wren

the house wren is probably the most abundant of the wren species . attracting them to your yard can be as easy as adding a bird house .
you can find lady banks gose at wren house brewing company in central phoenix . for more information , visit the wren house brewing company website or facebook .
the house wren has a current rating of least concern . the previous rating for the house wren was lower risk . the lower risk rating was downgraded to a least concern rating as a result of the population and range of the house wren . the range of the house wren is estimated to be about 25 million square kilometers . the population of the house wren is approximately 21 million individual birds . the house wren is native to south america , central america and north america . there are not any known threats facing the house wren at this time .
figure 1 . breeding and non - breeding distributions of the northern house wren .
the house wren song is long and complex , and both males and females sing .
a mateless male house wren fed nestling house sparrows ( hills 1924 . it is rare to find other species feeding house sparrows - shy found only 2 records . )
forty - six species of wrens in fourteen genera are found in north america . these include the familiar house wren , the desert dwelling cactus wren , and the aptly named rock wren .
: there are about 31 subspecies ( previously treated as separate species ) of the house wren , or howr , divided into 5 different groups . this web page deals with the northern house wren
the figure above shows two sonogram examples of male , house wren songs , both recorded in ohio .
brown - headed cowbirds sometimes lay their eggs in house wren nests . these birds act as a parasite to house wrens but , because brown - headed cowbirds usually are too big to enter house wren ' s cavity nests , this is a very rare occurrence .
preston thoeny , head brewer at wren house brewing company , takes a break from brewing to pour a draft .
preparing smoked nuts destined to become part of wren house and little miss bbq ' s pecan pie wheat wine .
house wren habitat often overlaps with chickadee and titmouse habitat , resulting in competition which house wrens typically win . i wonder if forest fragmentation is resulting in increased howr populations .
there are roughly 30 different subspecies of house wrens . these subspecies are divided into 5 groups : northern house wrens , brown - throated wrens , southern house wrens , antillean house wrens and cozumel wrens . southern house wrens have 20 of the subspecies in their category .
johnson , l . 1998 . house wren ( troglodytes aedon ) no . 380 . a poole , f gill , eds .
johnson l . s . , kermott l . h . effect of nest - site supplementation on polygynous behavior in the house wren .
wren rescue story this spring my wren built it ' s nest in a
cheapy
wooden bird house that i had placed above my light fixture on my back porch . i noticed the activity there …
under the eaves of our house , a gourd - like pottery birdhouse swings from a cord , and cradled within are seven baby house wrens . hungry baby house wrens . they chirp continually .
the house wren species name is after aëdon , queen of thebes , who accidentally committed infanticide while trying to kill a rival ' s son .
the identity of each house has developed through links with the associated wren church and also the shared experiences of students working to win the competitions .
janota s . m . , soukup s . s . , thompson c . f . male - biased offspring sex ratio in the house wren .
kendeigh , s . c . 1941 . territorial and mating behavior of the house wren . illinois biol . monogr . 18 : 1 - 120 .
the winter wren is the only wren species found outside of north america . in its large eurasian range , it occurs in a wide variety of habitats and is a common garden bird that somewhat fills the niche of the house wren . it also has one of the loudest songs for a bird of its size .
house wrens can be very feisty when it comes to nest sites . they will pierce and discard the eggs of bluebirds and others who dare to build a nest in a site the house wren feels it “owns . ”
possible abandoned house wren nest ? please help ! i am not sure what to do , if anything . i have a small bird house in the lilac tree outside my bedroom window . i have been enjoying watching …
belles - isles , j . c . and picman , j . 1986 . house wren nest - destroying behavior . condor 88 : 190 - 193 .
) . juvenile house wrens have a reddish brown rump , and their underparts are a darker buff . the carolina wren has a warm brown breast . the
house wrens are notable for their lack of field marks—the warm - brown upperparts and tail are matched by a grayish breast . look closely at the house wren , and you’ll see a variety of small white and black spots , the only variation in the bird’s plumage . males and females look alike and both have the wren - like habit of cocking their tails up when perched . the thin , slightly curved bill is ideal for capturing and eating the house wren’s insect prey .
every year , a male house wren announces his claim in my yard with loud , rollicking , bubbling song . wrens are tiny , but they sing big .
an abundance of attitude makes the house wren stand out from other small birds . it often cocks its tail straight up , especially when it ' s excited .
. territories , multiple nest building , and polygyny in the long - billed marsh wren .
the house wren’s nest is made of twigs and lined with finer materials . it is placed in a tree cavity , nest box , or a variety of unusual locations .
st . paul’s cathedral , in the city of london wren’s masterpiece and a focal point of wren academy in terms of design , innovations , planning and excellence . indeed , if you look closely , you can see that the wren academy logo is the architectural ‘footprint’ of the cathedral .
wren nesting indoors this is a story of a wren nesting indoors in a hanging plant and how the author managed to move the nest outside . in the spring and fall , when the weather …
royall , jr . , w . c . and pillmore , r . e . 1968 . house wren feeds red - shafted flicker nestlings . murrelet 49 : 4 - 6 .
the house wren is a small , brown bird with few readily apparent field marks . it is slender and gray - brown , lighter in color overall and with a longer tail than the winter wren . its wings and tail are mottled , but its back and belly are fairly clear .
wren in topsy turvy tomato planter one day my husband went to water his tomato plant that was hanging off our front porch . he was greatly surprised when a very angry wren flew out at him . …
eastern and western house wrens have differing plumages , with western birds being grayer above .
. an experimental test of the function of sticks in the nests of house wrens .
the oldest known house wren lived to be at least 7 years old . it is difficult to estimate the lifespan of these birds because they do not return to the same area every year .
the oldest recorded house wren was at least 9 years old , when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in new york in 1993 , the same state where it had been banded .
rt brumfield , and ap capparella , genetic differentiation and taxonomy in the house wren species group : condor , vol . 98 , no . 3 , pp . 547 - 556 , aug 1996 .
pecan . pie . beer . sounds pretty wild . sounds like ambitious suds from a local brewer who founded wren house ( along with drew pool and bill hammond ) a mere two years ago .
at wren academy we operate a house system . this means that every student in years 7 - 10 is allocated a house to which they belong for the duration of their time in the school . we thought very carefully about what to name our houses after , way back in 2008 , and settled on some christopher wren designed churches from around the city of london . the houses are as follows :
house wrens help to control insect populations . they also supply food for many different animals .
. effects of predation and competitor interference on nesting success of house wrens and tree swallows .
the house wren has one of the largest ranges of any songbird in the new world . it breeds from canada through the west indies and central america , southward to the southernmost point of south america .
sparrow kills house wren last year my son built a birdhouse in his first year of woodworking in junior high . i was so proud i painted a cute garden scene on the front and we put …
the oldest house wren has been known to live is 7 years . it is hard to keep track of the age of individual birds because they do not always return to the same spot every year .
spending the summers in thickets and brushy edge habitat adjacent to woodlands , the house wren is a familiar bird in parks , backyards , and gardens , often—but not always—near human settlements . some house wrens winter in the southernmost states in the united states , but many travel beyond our borders farther south .
the secretive house wren hops about on the ground and in the low understory with its short tail held up . it often punctures the eggs of nearby nesting birds , both of its own and other species .
henry the house wren at the end of june i noticed a jaunty little bird who sang his heart out from sunrise to sunset . he was so very tiny and that was what caught my attention - …
the house wren is a fierce competitor for nest holes . they will harass and peck at much larger birds , sometimes dragging eggs and young out of a nest site they want – even occasionally killing adult birds .
platt m . e . , ficken m . s . organization of singing in house wrens .
as the season progresses , house wren nests can become infested with mites and other parasites that feed on the wren nestlings . perhaps to fight this problem , wrens often add spider egg sacs into the materials they build their nests from . in lab studies , once the spiders hatched , they helped the wrens by devouring the nest parasites .
tubaro , p . l . 1990 . song description of the house wren ( troglodytes aedon ) in two populations of eastern argentina , and some indirect evidences of imitative vocal learning . hornero 013 : 111 - 116 .
tubaro , p . l . 1990 . song description of the house wren ( troglodytes aedon ) in two populations of eastern argentina , and some indirect evidences of imitative vocal learning . hornero 013 : 111 - 116 .
kevin p . eckerle , charles f . thompson ; addition of arthropod cocoons to house wren nests is correlated with delayed pairing , behavioral ecology , volume 16 , issue 1 , 1 january 2005 , pages 1–7 , urltoken
. territorial behavior of house wrens ( ms thesis ) . normal , illinois : illinois state university .
to view the rolls of honour list and the latest standings in the house competition please click here .
the house wren is known for its confiding , friendly behavior . this familiar bird species is well - named as it often occurs around human habitations , often building its nest under the eaves of roofs or in backyard nest boxes .
wrens are non - migratory except for the winter wren , a short distance migrant from boreal forests to the southern united states .
robert c . dobbs , john d . styrsky , charles f . thompson ; clutch size and the costs of incubation in the house wren , behavioral ecology , volume 17 , issue 5 , 1 september 2006 , pages 849–856 , urltoken
the carolina wren is a small but chunky bird with a round body and a long tail that it often cocks upward . the head is large with very little neck , and the distinctive bill marks it as a wren : long , slender , and downcurved .
development of vocalisations in nestling and fledgling house wrens in natural populations . bioacoustics 15 : 271 - 287 .
house wrens occupy the broadest latitudinal range of any native passerine in the new world ( bna . org )
) is more slender , rather long necked , with a very long , barred tail . their beak is longer and straighter than a house wren . it also has a long white stripe over its eye , and its breast is white .
title - try to keep it 4 words or less as this will be the page name . something like - wren nesting in boot
dull in appearance but notable for its effervescent song , the house wren is a common summer inhabitant of scrublands and woodland edges throughout much of north america . variation in plumage and call notes is extensive . polytypic . length 4 . 7
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insects make up the house wren’s diet ( grasshoppers , crickets , spiders , and moths are on the menu ) , but they will also eat snails and caterpillars . most of their foraging is done in thick vegetation on or near the ground .
the house wren has variably brown or grayish - brown upperparts , pale grayish underparts , a faint , pale line above the eye , brown wings barred with black , and a long , brown tail barred with black that is usually held cocked upright .
johnson , l . scott . 2014 . house wren ( troglodytes aedon ) , the birds of north america online ( a . poole , ed . ) . ithaca : cornell lab of ornithology ; retrieved from the birds of north america online : urltoken
the ambitious beer will emerge from a 20 - barrel steel fermentation tank and into the world sometime at the end of october or early november . wren house and little miss plan to host a release party , you and me and everyone else invited .
the first edition of this summary of house wren biology , prepared in the mid 1990s , said that “house wrens are arguably the most thoroughly studied passerine in north america , in part because they so readily use human - made nest sites , and because they are ubiquitous , relatively abundant across most of their range , and tolerant of human activity . ” now , two decades later , one can readily argue that we know more about the biology of the house wren than any other wild species of bird in the world . new studies have focused on genetics , immunology , energetics and physiology , ecology , demography , reproductive and other behavior , sex allocation , communication , systematics , and more . as of the mid - 2010s , more than 700 research papers , government reports , theses and dissertations had been published that touched on one or more aspects of house wren biology .
johnson , l . scott . 2014 . house wren ( troglodytes aedon ) , version 2 . 0 . in the birds of north america ( p . g . rodewald , editor ) . cornell lab of ornithology , ithaca , new york , usa .
house wren friends not rated yet i like to listen for their songs , how the song changes . they seem to call for me , “wake up , get up and see me , here i am . ” i miss my friends , the family …
that evening , in the garden , i heard the chattering of a wren . on the wire fence by my neighbor ' s yard teetered seven fluffy baby house wrens . the mother brought the caterpillar of a cabbage moth to one and then led the family into a thicket at my garden ' s edge . for several days i sometimes saw the wren family , often in the chard or broccoli patch .
as an amateur foodie and beer enthusiast , it’s my mission to explore the hops and hospitality of phoenix’s breweries . in my most recent adventure into the local beer scene , i pulled up a chair to the intimate bar at wren house brewing in central phoenix .
. food - supplementation does not override the effect of egg mass on fitness - related traits of nestling house wrens .
the house wren song may be considered loud and clear or shrill and grating . the chippewa indians , called it o - du - na - mis - sug - ud - da - we - shi , meaning big noise for its size ( cooke 1884 ) .
the nest is right outside my window . i ' ve timed the parents ' trips . from daylight to dusk , seldom does more than two minutes elapse between feedings . observers whose patience exceeds mine have counted over 1000 feedings to a house wren brood in one day .
the preys that the house wren captures vary from cicadas and caterpillars to millipedes and bees . the most common diet in the adults were hemiptera ( cicadas , leafhoppers , etc ) , while the common diet in the nestlings were grasshoppers and especially crickets ( scott 2014 ) .
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 .
. adult house wrens respond to predators by chasing and striking at the predator while giving a loud , harsh alarm call .
eckerle k . p . , thompson c . f . mate choice in house wrens : nest cavities trump male characteristics .
house wrens help to control several insect populations . they also supply an abundant food source for many different types of animals .
: house wrens arrive in nesting territory from late march to mid - april or early may , depending on the latitude .
a familiar backyard bird , the house wren was named long ago for its tendency to nest around human homes or in birdhouses . very active and inquisitive , bouncing about with its short tail held up in the air , pausing to sing a rich bubbling song , it adds a lively spark to gardens and city parks despite its lack of bright colors . various forms of this wren are found from central canada to southern south america .
main point of confusion is winter wren ; it is smaller , shorter - tailed , more heavily barred on the flanks and crissum , and usually darker . winter and house wrens further distinguished by differences in song , call , timing of migration , microhabitat preferences , and foraging behavior .
i am standing in a room crammed with 20 - barrel fermentation tanks , smooth steel cylinders to the ceiling . the air smells like hot oatmeal . preston thoeny , head brewer at wren house brewing company on 24th street and monte vista road in phoenix , opens a portable cooler .
house wrens forage by hopping on trunks , branches , or on the ground . they sometimes forages high in trees as well .
house wrens have adapted well to human habitation , frequently using nest boxes or nesting within a variety of objects in accessible outbuildings .
albrecht d . j . , johnson l . s . manipulation of offspring sex ratio by second - mated female house wrens .
house wren populations have experienced some regional declines , but generally populations have been stable and slightly increased between 1966 and 2015 , according to the north american breeding bird survey . partner ' s in flight estimates a global breeding population of 160 million with 19 % spending some part of the year in the u . s . , 9 % in mexico , and 8 % breeding in canada . the species rates a 5 out of 20 on the continental concern score . house wren is not on the 2016 state of north america ' s birds ' watch list . back to top
but it’s not all about sport . five times a year we run house competitions in poetry , quizzing , benchball , singing ( always popular ! ) and the ‘marble run’ . this last competition is a fun way to put lessons learned in our design and technology department to the test and chimes with our academy specialism , design and the built environment . over the course of wren academy’s growth and evolution , a number of strong interhouse rivalries have come and gone , with particular heads of house being very partisan about how well their house is doing ! leading the houses are a fantastic set of six teachers . listed below are the houses with the name of the current head of house .
house wrens sing with high intensity in periodic bouts prior to pairing and often did the same later in the breeding cycle to attract more partners . their song is described as rapid trills of frequency - modulated notes with an average of ten syllables per bout and around four different types of syllables . the largest recorded repertoire of a house wren is 194 songs , although there is likely no sort of ceiling or limit on the size of its repertoire . however , if you only count the songs that are most used by each male , then the effective repertoire of the average male house wren is about 25 songs ( kaluthota and rendall , 2013 ) . a close phonetic of the male house wren is tsi - tsi - tsi - tsi - oodle - oodle - oodle ( bent 1948 ) . kaluthota and rendall ( 2013 ) also found that only one type of song was shared by all fifteen males , only fourteen songs were shared by more than ten males , and the rest were unique to the individual .
the house wren is a tiny , brown songbird that is commonly found in the backyards of homes across the western hemisphere . anyone can go out on a still , summer day and notice the tiny bodies of feathers zoom past in the underlying shrubs and tree branches . once in a while , a child might find a nest in an old shoe box in his garage after his mom nagged at him to do his chores . the beauty of the house wren is exactly this image : its striking simplicity and lack of presence mixed with quite an intriguing set behaviors found only through careful observation .
house wren chicks are completely helpless and dependant on their parents , who both care for the young . they fledge after about 15 to 17 days and all leave the nest within a few hours of each other . the parents continue to feed them for about 13 days after they leave the nest .
johnson , l . s . 1998 . house wren ( troglodytes aedon ) . in the birds of north america , no . 380 ( a . poole and f . gill , eds . ) . academy of natural sciences of philadelphia and american ornithologists’ union . [ revised online 8 december 2014 ]
an affinity for open , shrubby wood - lands , mimicked so well by small town and suburban backyards and city parks , a preference for human - made “bird houses , ” and a very loquacious nature all combine to make the house wren one of the best - known songbirds in north america .
walbrook - st . stephen’s , walbrook shown against the backdrop of the evolving city , we can see the durability , both aesthetic and physical , of wren’s designs .
a plain brown bird with an effervescent voice , the house wren is a common backyard bird over nearly the entire western hemisphere . listen for its rush - and - jumble song in summer and you’ll find this species zipping through shrubs and low tree branches , snatching at insects . house wrens will gladly use nestboxes , or you may find their twig - filled nests in old cans , boots , or boxes lying around in your garage .
after the eggs hatched this year , i stopped seeing two adults at the same time . maybe one belonged to the minority of male house wrens who switch their attentions to a second mate and family before the first brood is fledged . i heard a wren singing from the other side of the house . that may have been the same male inviting another female to inspect a tipped - over flowerpot tilled with twigs in the tool shed .
johnson l . s . , kermott l . h . possible causes of territory takeovers in a north - temperate population of house wrens .
soukup s . s . , thompson c . f . social mating system affects the frequency of extra - pair paternity in house wrens .
there have been occasional reports of house wrens killing young nestlings ( 4 - 5 days old ) or throwing them out of the nest .
house wrens currently occupy the broadest latitudinal range of any native songbird in the new world . house wrens have benefited from the fragmentation of forests across the united states , including washington . this fragmentation increases the shrubby edge habitat that they prefer . they are fairly tolerant of human activity , which makes them well adapted to our increasingly developed landscape . they also seem to benefit from logging , using slash piles and small snags . in some areas in the 19th century , there was a decline of house wrens , which is blamed on the introduction of the house sparrow because they compete for nesting cavities . in washington and north america as a whole , the house wren population has been on the rise since 1966 , increasing an average of 8 . 3 % per year in washington and 1 . 6 % per year in north america , based on breeding bird survey data . this increase may be of concern since house wrens destroy nests of other species , and compete with other , less common cavity - nesters .
in the wild house wrens live in open , shrubby woodlands . however , they were named for their preference for small town and suburban backyards and human - made bird houses . small wood - lots and forest edges are also well known habitats for these birds . human farming and towns have created more good breeding habitat for the wren by fragmenting forests , which explains why the house wren has expanded its range and numbers in north america . during the winter wrens live in thickets , shrubby and brushy areas , riparian forests , and savannas in the southern united states . in mexico , they prefer tropical evergreen and semideciduous forests .
after thoroughly exploring my whole yard , this year ' s male house wren selected the birdhouse hanging under the eaves . the previous spring , wrens nested in a dead limb of our old box elder . one year i found the wrens ' nest in the hollow center of my huge ball of twine in the garden shed . during a childhood summer i spent with grandparents on sauvie ' s island , oregon , house wrens built a nest in the mailbox at the end of the long gravel driveway . for the month until the young birds fledged , the postman brought the mail up to the house every day .
the carolina wren creeps around vegetated areas and scoots up and down tree trunks in search of insects and fruit . it explores yards , garages , and woodpiles , sometimes nesting there . this wren often cocks its tail upward while foraging and holds it down when singing . carolina wrens defend their territories with constant singing ; they aggressively scold and chase off intruders .
perhaps he was correct , for after a few days a female house wren landed in the viburnum near the birdhouse . the male approached her , his short tail pointing straight up . he quivered his wings . he sang . he flew to the door to his treasure of a nest and looked over his shoulder at her .
declined in some areas in 19th century after introduction of house sparrow , which competed for nest sites . currently widespread and common , numbers probably stable .
cramer , e . r . a . physically challenging song traits , male quality , and reproductive success in house wrens . plos one 8 : e59208
from a distance , the house wren appears to be a uniform brownish gray . the head , nape , and back are a uniform shade of brown ; the chest and throat are a uniform light gray , sometimes with buffy or brownish tinge . the eyebrow has a distinctive white stripe , and the tail , wings , and flank ( between the ribs and the hip ) have some black and dark brown marks . the plumage is identical between the sexes and no seasonal changes with the male slightly larger than the female in some traits . ( scott 2014 ) . the small and compact figure with a flat head and long , curved beak helps identify the house wren .
wren nesting in door wreath for several years now there have been carolina wrens attempting to build a nest in the wreath on my front door . this year they must have decided that …
wren nesting in birdfeeder earlier this spring i found a few twigs in my birdfeeder just off the deck . i cleared them out without thinking about it , but later realized it must …
for house wren eggs , temperature inside the nest box can be critical to survival . if a sun - drenched nest box warms above about 106 degrees fahrenheit for an hour , the eggs will begin to die . if a cold snap chills a nest below about 65 degrees fahrenheit for more than a day it can also doom the eggs .
we found that house wren offspring sired by extra - pair mates were significantly more likely to be male than were offspring sired by within - pair mates . to our knowledge , this is the first study to find a significant male bias among offspring in the event of extra - pair fertilization , when sexing has been done using molecular methods .
“we’re hoping to get 12 to 15 barrels worth , ” thoeny says . “if so , we’ll can or bottle a large amount of that . the rest we’ll put in whiskey barrels and release later in the winter or early in spring . ” the pecan pie wheat wine will also be available on draft in wren house ' s taproom .
drilling , n . e . and thompson , c . f . 1991 . mate switching in multibrooded house wrens . auk 108 : 60 - 70 .
unlike many other birds , house wrens do not have brightly colored feathers or markings . measuring 5 inches long with a plump body and a short tail .
consider putting up a nest box to attract a breeding pair . make sure you put it up well before breeding season . attach a guard to keep predators from raiding eggs and young . find out more about nest boxes on all about birdhouses , where you ' ll find plans for building a nest box of the appropriate size for house wren .
house wren : breeds from southern canada southward to central california , central new mexico , northern arkansas , and northern georgia . other forms are found from mexico southward throughout south america and the west indies . winters in the southern u . s . and mexico . preferred habitats include open woodlands , forest edges , forest openings , shrubby areas and farmlands .
even if no bird house is offered , these birds are likely to find somewhere or something to nest in even if no man - made housing is available .
ludgate - st . martin’s ludgate there has been a church on or near this site since the twelfth century . the last incarnation of the medieval church on the site was destroyed by the fire of london in 1666 , only 40 years after it had last been repaired ! as with all the wren churches , they form part of the mandate given to wren to rebuild london after the fire .
male house wrens added cocoons to half of the first nests they built in each year . cocoon use is not unique to this house wren population , as it occurs across much of the species ' breeding range ( see mccabe , 1965 ) . the use of cocoons did not vary consistently with habitat but increased seasonally in each year , paralleling seasonal increases in spider populations ( kendeigh , 1979 ; williams et al . , 1995 ) . variation in cocoon use was unrelated to differences in male body mass or condition index .
house wrens occupy the broadest latitudinal range of any native passerine in the new world , breeding from across most of canada down to the southernmost part of south america , and into the west indies . the number of studies done on southern forms of house wrens have increased recently , especially in argentina and chile . coverage of research done on southern forms has been greatly expanded in the current review of house wren biology , with an emphasis is placed on studies that would be of most utility to researchers studying the northern forms . however , the existence of other studies on southern forms is noted and all known studies of the species appear in the comprehensive bibliography found at the end of this review .
visitors share stories about wren birds upon opening my mailbox one morning , i noticed a lot of leaves and pine straw and thought it had been blown in from a bad storm the night before . …
our little wren we have several nesting boxes in our yard for the wrens & this year they chose the one my husband ( dan ) built that has a front porch . we can sit on …
wren interesting nesting choice i first noticed this bird in may , by the short aggressive calls that were very loud from such a small bird . i figured the bird was looking for a mate . …
house wrens devour spiders , bugs , beetles , and caterpillars . they also eat many leafhoppers , grasshoppers , crickets , locusts , and the occasional bee or wasp .
house wrens are territorial and are usually alone except during breeding season and on a wintering ground . during breeding season , house wrens are found in pairs or in immediate family groups while when on a wintering ground , they are rarely found with a flock and usually found alone ( scott 2014 ) . however , house wrens can be seen acting kindly . there is a case of a male house wren that fed a nestling northern flickers in a nest above his own . after his offsprings hatched , he fed both the nestling northern flickers and his own offsprings ( royall and pillmore 1968 ) . on the other hand , house wrens can be seen acting aggressively . in another case , the house wrens pecked and removed eggs of all species 1 - 3m around their nest and destroyed quail eggs in an open nest 20 - 40m from their own nest ( belles - isles and picman 1986 ) . interestingly , the males attacked eggs only before pairing and females only before laying ( kennedy and white 1996 ) . moreover , the presence of a small wasp nests in a cavity does not deter nesting but rather the wrens become aggressive , killing the wasps and knocking the nests if it is an obstacle ( mcatee1927 ) .
the wrens are small birds for the most part although the cactus wren is a medium - sized bird . the members of this family are rather plump birds with short wings , longish , strong legs and feet , and rather large heads with long , thin , slightly downcurved bills . tail size varies from the very short as is the case in the wood - wrens , to longish as in the cactus wren .
house wrens nest inside tree holes and nest boxes . as the season progresses their nests can become infested with mites and other parasites that feed on the wren nestlings . perhaps to fight this problem , wrens often add spider egg sacs into the materials they build their nests from . in lab studies , once the spiders hatched , they helped the wrens by devouring the nest parasites .
during the breeding season , the home range of house wrens is roughly the same as their territory . we have no information on the winter home range of this species .
house wrens breed from southern canada south throughout most of the u . s . they winter in the southern u . s . and mexico . the population is increasing .
house wrens are cavity nesters and as such , are easily attracted to birdhouses . in fact , these birds seem to prefer man - made nest boxes to natural cavities .
to address this , an experiment to help determine if a bird has a greater chance after a failed attempt elsewhere would be to have a house wren that failed his mating attempt and a control house wren and calculate the successes of mating attempts . sometimes the male will have more than one mating partner . when this happens , he either remains on the same territory or establishes a new territory elsewhere . in either cases , the male deserts the female and usually the deserted female will not breed again . moreover , when the female deserts the male , the deserted male is less likely to breed . when the male establishes or claims a new territory , he immediately begins building a nest that the female helps complete when she pairs with him ( scott 2014 ) .
a house wren weighs about as much as two quarters , but it’s a fierce competitor for nest holes . wrens will harass and peck at much larger birds , sometimes dragging eggs and young out of a nest site they want – even occasionally killing adult birds . in some areas they are the main source of nest failure for bluebirds , tree swallows , prothonotary warblers , and chickadees .
wren nest in shamrock plant a pair of carolina wrens have built their nest in my shamrock plant on the front porch . last year , i found an incomplete nest there . . . and removed it . …
gas lamp wren brood right off the corner of our deck is an old gas lamp - the kind many have by their driveways . this one has not been used in years - it is not even hooked …
a cactus wren ' s snow experience i have cactus wrens all over the place here in the high desert mtns . i used to get so frustrated with these little buggars , tearing up my patio furniture , …
house wrens are usually 11 to 13 cm long and weigh 10 to 12 g . males and females are identical in coloration , but males are slightly larger in some traits .
house wrens also communicate using body language . if a predator approaches , males crouch and drop their wings , raise their back feathers , and lower their fanned - out tail .
house wrens inhabit gardens , hedgerows , brushy woods , wetlands , and other edges . they use a variety of habitats , as long as they have a dense shrub layer .
poirier n . e . , whittingham l . a . , dunn p . o . males achieve greater reproductive success through multiple broods than through extrapair mating in house wrens .
whittingham l . a . , valkenaar s . m . , poirier n . e . , dunn p . o . maternal condition and nestling sex ratio in house wrens .
house wren nest sizes range from 4 to 8 eggs , with one egg laid per day . females develop single large incubation patches ( bare areas of skin on their bellies ) and will spend over half of their time incubating the eggs , once their entire clutch has been laid . hatching begins about 12 days after the last egg is laid and occurs only during daylight hours . house wrens are able to breed ( have reached sexual maturity ) when they are 1 year old , but some first time breeders skip the regular breeding time and choose instead to breed alongside the older birds who are attempting a second clutch in a season . house wrens nest in tree cavities , such as old woodpecker holes . they preferring cavities closer to the ground with small entrances .
dubois n . s . , kennedy e . d . , getty t . surplus nest boxes and the potential for polygyny affect clutch size and offspring sex ratio in house wrens .
house wrens are fiercely territorial , they have been known to destroy bluebird and other cavity nester ' s eggs by piercing them , and then often removing the eggs from the nest .
my cat has attacked a wrens nest good morning , for the last couple of days i noticed a wren had set up a nest in my blackberry branch that protrudes out from the side of my my shed . it …
as with many birds , your ears can help lead you to house wren sightings . start in the right habitat : backyards , parks , or open woods , then listen . the song can be hard to learn at first , because the notes are nondescript and variable , and because there’s simply so much of it – so loud and insistent - that it’s hard to believe such a small bird is making it .
the house wren is common sprightly and energetic backyard bird over much of the western hemisphere . its body is compact , with a flat head and thin , slightly curved beak . it is relatively short - winged , often keeping its longish tail either cocked above the line of the body . generally , most house wrens are a warm brown color with dark and light barring throughout , although there is regional variation . legs are pinkish , with large feet . taken 27 april , 2009 in victoria , british columbia , canada . the following is a link to this photographer ' s website : glenn bartley .
house wrens breed throughout all of the united states except for the south . but since they spend the winter in the south , you can find them at some time in every state .
house wrens are a very abundant species . they live in semi - forested areas , which is a common habitat type so conservation management is not necessary . however , house wrens are protected under the u . s . migratory bird act . these birds are quite tolerant of habitat change and nest disturbance , allowing them to live and reproduce successfully even in human populated areas .
kroodsma , d . & brewer , d . ( 2018 ) . house wren ( troglodytes aedon ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
wren house brewing does not have a kitchen , but if you’re feeling peckish , the bar currently offers jerky snacks for purchase . there’s also the option of bringing in your own dinner ; delivery is welcomed , or the street is ripe with options for authentic mexican . whether you’re in for one beer or a long sampling session , have a seat . this brewery has a cold one in a cozy taproom for you .
here in the valley , wren house brewing company ' s head brewer , preston thoeny , is helping put gose on the map . with this year’s debut of lady banks gose , thoeny has brought the traditionally european style to the metro phoenix area . an affinity toward nice , crisp sours brought gose to thoeny ' s attention , and the result is a slightly salty , slightly tart , and rose - colored beer .
for clarity , only distributions of the northernmost , aedon - type house wrens are shown ( see text for distributions of two southern forms of house wrens ) . ' wintering area ' indicates locations where most individuals are found in winter . smaller numbers of birds regularly winter north of this range into lower portions of what is shown as ' breeding range ' ( see text ) .
a small wren with medium - length bill and tail , it responds readily to pishing . overall jizz is of a plain , typical wren . adult : one molt a year ; sexes similar . all populations brownish above , paler gray - brown or gray below . supercilium , often indistinct , is paler than crown and auriculars . juvenile : variable , but many differ from adults in having warmer buff and rufous tones , along with indistinct scalloping on throat and breast .
4 . 6 - 5 in ( 11 . 5 - 12 . 5 cm ) . weight 0 . 28 - 0 . 40 oz ( 8 - 11 g ) . a rather plain gray - brown wren without prominent markings .
wren nesting in bookcase - up until now , i ' ve never been a bird watcher . i never knew how interesting birds can be , or how excited i could get over them . i also didn ' t realize that …
. adults feed their young and supplement their own diet with sources of calcium such as mollusk shells . house wrens forage primarily in the woodland subcanopy , in shrubs and among herbaceous ground cover .
: house wrens are secondary cavity nesters , meaning they cannot excavate their own nesting holes . tolerant of human activities . howr may prefer a box with a smaller floor space . a typical nestbox
carrying the caterpillar , the wren dashes to the nest and dives through the entrance hole . for a moment , sound ceases . then she ' s out and gone , and the babies begin to cry again . they ' re still hungry !
most wren species are solitary birds that typically forage in pairs and do not join mixed flocks . they forage by using their bills to investigate dead leaf clusters , crevices , and various other hiding places used by the small creatures they prey upon .
in both years , we collected completed clutches of house wren eggs from the east bay study area for use in experiments on the mackinaw study area . we stored collected eggs in a refrigerator until needed . we randomly assigned nests on the mackinaw study area to either experimental or control treatment groups . within the first 3 days of incubation , we added 3 marked eggs ( foster eggs ) to the natural clutch at experimental nests and visited but did not manipulate control nests . this resulted in early - season experimental clutch sizes of 8–11 eggs and late - season experimental clutch sizes of 7–10 eggs . thus , experimental clutch sizes were near the upper limit but within the range of natural house wren clutch sizes ( bent 1948 ; johnson 1998 ) . because added eggs had been stored at cold temperatures , they did not hatch and were removed and discarded when the first original egg of the natural clutch hatched .
kaluthota , c . d . and rendall , d . 2013 . song organization and variability in northern house wrens ( troglodytes aedon parkmanii ) in western canada . the auk 132 : 617 - 628 .
in the wild , house wrens live in open , shrubby woodlands . however , they were named for their preference for small town and suburban backyards and human - made bird houses . small wood - lots and forest edges are also common habitats for these birds . human farming and towns have created more good breeding habitat for the wren by breaking forests up into small chunks . this explains why house wrens have expanded their range and their population in north america has grown . during the winter , wrens live in thickets , shrubby and brushy areas , riparian forests , and savannas in the southern united states . in mexico , they prefer tropical evergreen and semideciduous forests .
i stand on my back porch and watch a tiny brownish bird streak from the apple tree to the garden , drop to the ground at one end of the vegetable bed , and disappear under the dense greenery . broccoli leaves quiver as the bird travels through the hidden depths of the patch . the house wren emerges at the other end of the bed , with a large cabbage moth caterpillar bulging in its bill . i know where that caterpillar ' s going .


holcocera chalcofrontella is a moth in the family blastobasidae .

it is found in north america , including pennsylvania , texas , missouri , maryland , west virginia , arizona , british columbia , florida , illinois , maine , manitoba , michigan , new brunswick , ohio , ontario , quebec , tennessee , vermont and washington .

larvae have been reared on the seeds of rhus species , as well as the burrs of chestnuts .

holcocera chalcofrontella

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hodges , r . w . et al . , eds . 1983 . check list of the lepidoptera of america north of mexico . e . w . classey limited and the wedge entomological research foundation , london . 284 pp .
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marsh fern moth ( fagitana littera ) . photographed at portage lake , parry sound district , ontario on 5 july 2015 . © david beadle .