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That Nest in Birdhouses70birds
That Nest in BirdhousesHouse Wren
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Genus: Troglodytes
Species: aedon
La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
Gr. trogle hole or hollow
La. idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. dutes burrower
Gr. troglodutes cave dweller
Gr. aedon songstress, nightingale. Zeus changed Aedon, mythological queen of Thebes, into a nightingale.
Four to five inches. Brownish cinnamon gray with lighter gray underside.
Barred wings and tail with light fringes.
Slightly downward curved beak. Often upturned perky tail, especially when excited.
House wrens inhabit woodland edges, groves, plains and crop fields, and very often in or near buildings in farms and in parks, tree stands and home gardens in towns and suburbs.
House wrens range from northern British Columbia and Alberta to southern Quebec and throughout most of continental US. They migrate to the southern United States and Mexico for the winter.
Wrens are bubbly singers (T. aedon: songstress, nightingale). Yet they are fiercely protective. They will not share their territory with others of their kind and boldly challenge any intruder near their nest no matter their size.
When a wren scolds a stranger its beak is wide open, its tongue vibrates, and its body trembles with the violence of its effort.
Wrens forage for insects, spiders, beetles, caterpillars, snails and grubs in trees, gardens, shrubs, brush piles and leaf litter on the ground.
Occasionally they will eat mealworms and suet and maybe even peck at some fruit at feeders.
Wrens are one of the easiest birds to attract to nest boxes including in cities. Male wrens build several nests almost anywhere out of almost anything to entice a mate who replaces one nest with her own, usually of fine twigs and lined with dried grasses or other soft material. They often return to selected nesting sites year after year.
House wren nests have been found in tree cavities, barns, martin houses, tin cans, jars, planters, hanging clothes, paper bags, hats, shoes, pipes, cars and old cow, horse, and oxen skulls. If the cavity they choose is large, they will fill it full.
They like various building nooks and crannies. And they like bird houses. They like hanging, swinging birdhouses. Once a pair were observed nesting in a spinning house suspended by only one string.
Females lay around five to eight, more or less, usually seven, speckled, oblong to nearly spherical eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks.
The House Wren Birdhouse (same as for Bewick’s wrens, winter wrens and brown creepers), has a 4″ by 4″ floor, 8″ inside ceiling, 1 1/4″ diameter entrance hole located 6″ above the floor and ventilation openings.
Install boxes for house wrens in forests, groves and yards on trees, posts or fences with partial sun and shade between four and twelve feet high. Also see each particular bird species page.
Hanging several nest boxes at distances may increase chances of attracting a nesting pair.
Suspend hanging wren houses with a few inches of wire so that they swing from tree branches or under eaves.
Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers and other wrens may use these nest boxes.
Remove the nests after the brood rearing seasons are over.
Wren Nest Box
Wren Nest Box Plans
House Wren
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Genus: Troglodytes
Species: aedon
La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
Gr. trogle hole or hollow
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. dutes burrower
Gr. troglodutes cave dweller
Gr. aedon songstress, nightingale. Zeus changed Aedon, mythological queen of Thebes, into a nightingale.
Four to five inches. Brownish cinnamon gray with lighter gray underside.
Barred wings and tail with light fringes.
Slightly downward curved beak. Often upturned perky tail, especially when excited.
Black crown, black and white streaks leading back from the beak across the side of the head and red patch in the back of the male’s head. Black and white back and black wings with white bars.
House wrens inhabit woodland edges, groves and very often in or near buildings in farms, towns and suburbs from northern British Columbia and Alberta to southern Quebec and throughout most of continental US. They migrate to the southern United States and Mexico for the winter.
Wrens are bubbly singers (T. aedon: songstress, nightingale)
Yet they are fiercely protective. They will not share their territory with others of their kind and boldly challenge any intruder near their nest no matter their size.
When a wren scolds a stranger its beak is wide open, its tongue vibrates, and its body trembles with the violence of its effort.
Wrens forage for insects, spiders, beetles, caterpillars, snails and grubs in trees, gardens, shrubs, brush piles and leaf litter on the ground.
Occasionally they will eat mealworms and suet and maybe even peck at some fruit at feeders.
Male wrens build several nests almost anywhere out of almost anything to entice a mate who replaces one nest with her own, usually of fine twigs and lined with dried grasses or other soft material.
They often return to selected nesting sites year after year.
House wren nests have been found in tree cavities, barns, martin houses, tin cans, jars, planters, hanging clothes, paper bags, hats, shoes, pipes, cars and old cow, horse, and oxen skulls. If the cavity they choose is large, they will fill it full.
They like various building nooks and crannies. And they like bird houses. They like hanging, swinging birdhouses. Once a pair were observed nesting in a spinning house suspended by only one string.
The female lays around five to eight, more or less, usually seven, speckled, oblong to nearly spherical eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks.
The House Wren Birdhouse (same as for Bewick’s wrens, winter wrens and brown creepers), has a 4″ by 4″ floor, 8″ inside ceiling, 1 1/4″ diameter entrance hole located 6″ above the floor and ventilation openings.
Install boxes for house wrens in forests, groves and yards on trees, posts or fences with partial sun and shade between four and twelve feet high.
Suspend hanging wren houses with a few inches of wire so that they swing from tree branches or under eaves,
Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers and other wrens may use these nest boxes.
Remove the nests after the brood rearing seasons are over.
Wren Nest Box
Wren Nest Box Plans
House Wren
Birds | Birdhouses | Plans | Home
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Genus: Troglodytes
Species: aedon
La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
Gr. trogle hole or hollow
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. dutes burrower
Gr. troglodutes cave dweller
Gr. aedon songstress, nightingale. Zeus changed Aedon, mythological queen of Thebes, into a nightingale.
Four to five inches. Brownish cinnamon gray with lighter gray underside.
Barred wings and tail with light fringes. Slightly downward curved beak. Often upturned perky tail, especially when excited.
House wrens inhabit woodland edges, groves and very often in or near buildings in farms, towns and suburbs from northern British Columbia and Alberta to southern Quebec and throughout most of continental US. They migrate to the southern United States and Mexico for the winter.
Wrens are bubbly singers (T. aedon; songstress, nightingale)
Yet they are fiercely protective. They will not share their territory with others of their kind and boldly challenge any intruder near their nest no matter their size.
When a wren scolds a stranger its beak is wide open, its tongue vibrates, and its body trembles with the violence of its effort.
Wrens forage for insects, spiders, beetles, caterpillars, snails and grubs in trees, gardens, shrubs, brush piles and leaf litter on the ground.
Occasionally they will eat mealworms and suet and maybe even peck at some fruit at feeders.
Wrens are one of the easiest birds to attract to nest boxes even in cities.
Male wrens build several nests almost anywhere out of almost anything to entice a mate who replaces one nest with her own, usually of fine twigs and lined with dried grasses or other soft material. They often return to selected nesting sites year after year.
The female lays around five to eight, more or less, usually seven, speckled, oblong to nearly spherical eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks.
They also like various building nooks and crannies. And they like bird houses. They like hanging, swinging birdhouses. Once a pair were observed nesting in a spinning house suspended by only one string.
Nests have been found in tree cavities, barns, martin houses, tin cans, jars, planters, hanging clothes, paper bags, hats, shoes, pipes, cars and old cow, horse, and oxen skulls. If the cavity they choose is large, they will fill it full.
The House Wren Birdhouse (same as for Bewick’s Wrens, Winter Wrens and Brown Creepers), has a 4″ by 4″ floor, 8″ inside ceiling, 1 1/4″ diameter entrance hole located 6″ above the floor and ventilation openings.
Wren Nest Box
Install boxes for house wrens in forests, groves and yards on trees, posts or fences with partial sun and shade between four and twelve feet high. Also see each particular bird species page.
Hanging several nest boxes at distances may increase chances of attracting a nesting pair.
Wren Nest Box Plans
Suspend hanging wren houses with a few inches of wire so that they swing from tree branches, posts or under eaves.
Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers and other wrens may use these nest boxes.
Remove the nests after the brood rearing seasons are over.
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