House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
songbird's song
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uses birdhouses
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uses wildlife trees
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FIELD MARKS
The most familiar of British Columbia's wrens is the busy little House
Wren. This bird, like most other wrens seems to be endlessly energetic.
It has dull greyish-brown upperparts and a brown tail with black bars.
Its underparts are pale grey and it has light eye rings. The male and
female look similar. The male House Wren sings endlessly all day long.
Approximate length: 11 cm
FOOD
Eats mostly insects and spiders.
HABITAT
The House Wren is a bird of drier habitats such as bushy areas at the
edges of forests, open deciduous woodlands, and areas near human habitation
such as farmland and residential areas. The House Wren migrates south
for the winter; some go as far as Mexico.
NESTING
The House Wren nests mainly in human-altered habitats and forests, in
areas such as brushy backyards or farmyards, pasture and open rangeland,
woodlands, orchards, riparian areas and overgrown fields. The nests are
built in any kind of cavity, including birdhouses, woodpecker holes, tin
cans and even inside old shoes. The male fills the nesting cavity with
dry twigs, grass, moss, spider webs, rootlets, mud, rope and leaves. He
lines the nest with soft material such as fine grass, animal hair, feathers
and soft leaves. When a female arrives in a male's territory she casually
inspects the male's nest and if she approves, she adds a layer of feathers
and soft plants. She lays 6-8 pinkish-white eggs that are spotted reddish-brown.
STATUS
Common and widespread.
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