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

Marsh Wren

marsh 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.

The marsh wren is an Ohio Species of Concern that occurs in cattail marshes throughout the state, but is most numerous in the Lake Erie marshes.

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Marsh Wren

Cistothorus palustris

At-a-Glance

• Incubation: 12-16 days

• Clutch Size: 5-6 eggs

• Young Fledge: 13-16 days after hatching

• Typical Foods: insects and spiders

• Ohio Status: Species of Concern

Description
This bird is reddish-brown above and pale buff below, but the broad white eye-stripe and the white stripes on the back easily identify it.

Habitat and Habits
Marsh wrens prefer large marshes dominated by cattails with water depths of one half to two feet. They are most numerous within wetlands exceeding 10 acres in size where small openings are frequently interspersed among dense vegetation. The song begins as a liquid gurgling and ends with a mechanical chatter, often likened to the sound of a mechanical sewing machine.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
Marsh wren nests are globular structures placed at heights of two to five feet in dense vegetation. The males also frequently build "dummy nests" in addition to the one where the eggs will be laid. Only females incubate the eggs and brood the young. The first young wrens may fledge during June and July.