House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)

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

Wrens of Eastern North America

Color Photograph: © Corel Corp.

House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 4.25 inches. The House Wren has few distinguishing markings. The face lacks a white band over the eye, but there is a noticeable white eye ring. The back is dull brown with faint, thin darker bars. Both the wings and the tail are dull brown with dark brown bars. The underside is a lighter gray-brown. The tail is three to four times longer than wide.

Similar Species: The House Wren is most similar to the Winter Wren. The Winter Wren is a much smaller bird (about 3.25 inches in length) and the tail is shorter (about twice as long as wide). The only other eastern wren without a white band over the eye is the Sedge Wren. The Sedge Wren is found in marshes, rarely wet meadows. The back is darker and streaked with black and white stripes.

Breeding Range (see map below): The House Wren is one of the most widely distributed birds of North America, breeding from the middle of the Canadian Provinces southward throughout most of the United States except for the southeast.

Overwintering Range: The winter range of the House Wren is the southern third of the United States and southward into the Neotropics.

Habitat: The House Wren is found in a variety of habitats including residential areas, city parks, farms, and the edges of woodlands. It is one of the common birds found in the suburbs.

Food: Insects.

Behavior: The House Wren is a bird of eccentricities. Its dual characteristics are energy and loudness. The House Wren is very active, rapidly flitting from perch to perch with its tail jutting up into the air. The song is loud and bubbling, first rising and then falling.

Reproduction: The nest is placed in a hole of just about any type including tree holes and wren houses. The nest is a cup constructed of sticks and grass lined with feathers or animal hair. The clutch consists of 5 to 8 white eggs speckled with brown. Incubation takes about 12 days. The young are fledged in 12 to 18 days.

Notes: This indistinctive bird more than makes up for its drabness with its personality. Its active, jaunty life style make it a joy to have around the house except when it insists on singing loudly in the early morning while you are trying to sleep. House wrens construct their nests in a wide variety of holes from the usual to the most unusual such as mailboxes, flowerpots, or clothes hanging on a line. House Wrens are extremely evident during the breeding season, but otherwise are shy birds and less commonly seen at other times.