Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)

Special Segments Butterflies of North America Conifers of North America Eastern Birds List of N.A. Insects Home Eastern Wildflowers General Topics Natural History Ecology Family Environment Evolution Home Education Home Conservation Geophysics Paleontology Commercial Organizations

A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

Wrens of Eastern North America

Color Photograph: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 4 inches. The Marsh Wren is a bird of marshes and swamps. The face has a prominent white band (supercilium) above the eye stretching from the upper bill to the back of the head. The anterior half of the back is black with strong white lines. The crown of the head is brown without streaks. The tail is short and stubby. The throat, breast, and belly are white and the sides are tinged with tan. The tail and wings have dark bands.

Similar Species: Within its typical marsh habitat the Marsh Wren is most likely to be confused with the Sedge Wren. The Sedge Wren lacks a white band over the eye and the crown of the head is streaked with black lines. The Marsh Wren shares the white band over the eye with the Carolina Wren and Bewick's Wren. Both species are larger than the Marsh Wren and both species lack white lines on the back.

Breeding Range (see map below): The breeding range of the Marsh Wren is complex. The species breeds throughout most of the Pacific states and southern British Columbia. It is also found breeding in a band from southern British Columbia eastward through the Plains Provinces to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan with scattered populations further east. The species also breeds in isolated populations along the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Coast.

Overwintering Range: The Marsh Wren winters throughout the southern United States and, more extensively, in the western United States and southern British Columbia, particularly near the coast.

Habitat: The Marsh Wren lives in freshwater and brackish marshes dominated by reeds, cattails, sedges, and bulrushes.

Food: The Marsh Wren feeds primarily on insects, but will eat any other invertebrate it can find, such as snails.

Behavior: Like all wrens the Marsh Wren is very active. The males are polygamous with several mates. Male Marsh Wrens also build dummy nests, usually incomplete, perhaps as decoys for predators. The song consists of 1 to 3 musical rattles of different pitches. The rattles may be preceded by a buzzing sound.

Reproduction: The nest is globular with a side entrance and constructed of reeds and cattails. The clutch consists of 3 to 6 pale brown eggs with dark brown spots. Incubation takes between 12 to 16 days and the young are fledged in about 15 days.

Notes: The Marsh Wren may be abundant in its marshy habitat, but can be difficult to spot among the reeds unless the male is perching and singing.