ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - House Wren

House Wren

house wren

The Wren family is a group of small, restless, brownish birds with finely barred wings and tails. Wrens have long, slender bills which are slightly decurved. The best field mark is the way the tail is usually cocked straight-up. Their favorite food is insects.

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House Wren

Troglodytes aedon

At-a-Glance

• Peak Breeding Activity: April-September

• Incubation: 12 days

• Clutch Size: 5-8 eggs

• Young Fledge: 15-17 days after hatching

• Typical Foods: insects

Description
The house wren is the plainest of the wrens, colored brown above and gray below with indistinct barring on the wings and tail. There are no distinct markings on the face or back.

Habitat and Habits
The house wren is a fairly frequent summer resident. It is the common wren of gardens, shrubs and residential areas. It normally inhabits a variety of open areas interspersed with thickets, shrubs, scattered trees or woodland openings and edges. The loud, bubbling warble is a common sound of suburbia. When alarmed, they readily deliver harsh, scolding notes.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
The nest of twigs, lined with feathers and grass, is placed in a hollow tree or log. This wren will also use a man-made nesting box. The eggs, numbering five to eight, are white. When nesting, wrens become very aggressive, often chasing other birds out of nesting sites and sometimes destroying other birds' eggs.