1. Learn More About the Little Bird That Likes to Live Big Wonderful Wrens

2. Wrens’ family name, Troglodytidae, is from the word troglodyte, which means “cave- dweller” Some species of wrens have a tendency of foraging in dark crevices Basic Wren Facts

3. Wrens are small birds with loud and often complex songs Wrens have narrow heads and thin, down- turned bills – adapted for probing crevices Most wrens are cavity nesters Basic Wren Facts

4. Wrens have short, rounded wings This causes them to have a quick and erratic flight pattern Basic Wren Facts

5. Out of 75 species found in the New World, the Winter Wren is the only one to live outside of the Americas. The greatest diversity of wrens can be found in Central and South America Basic Wren Facts

6. Various wren species can be found in a number of habitats – grasslands, deep forests, forest edges, marshland vegetation such as reeds and cattails, some wetland forests, abandoned farmland and suburban gardens Basic Wren Facts

7. Carolina Wrens are truly monogamous, keeping the same mate for life Pairs stay together year-round, foraging and moving around within their territory Carolina Wren Facts

8. A female Carolina Wren is unable to defend her territory alone Because of this, females spend much of their time watching for predators when foraging with their mates Carolina Wren Facts

9. Rising temperatures may have aided their northward expansion since the mid-1900s They do not migrate They are sensitive to cold, and northern populations decrease substantially during severe winters Carolina Wren Facts

10. Nests of Carolina Wrens have been reported in a variety of nooks and crannies in, around or under buildings, under bridges or in holes in any structure such as a porch, fence-post, flowerpot, tree, house or barn Nesting Behaviors

11. Carolina Wrens normally nest two times a year, but sometimes three Females typically lay between four to six eggs This usually takes place over a period of several days Nesting Behaviors

12. Eggs are grayish-white and sprinkled with reddish-brown spots Only the female incubates the eggs for 12 to 14 days Nesting Behaviors

13. Young leave the nest 12 to 14 days after hatching Both males and females feed the young The same nest may be used more than once Nesting Behaviors

14. House Wrens nest in abandoned woodpecker holes or tree cavities, or even unoccupied hornet nests They also use human- made nest boxes and other artificial nesting sites House Wren Facts

15. A male House Wren may claim a nesting cavity by filling it with numerous small twigs If a female likes what she sees, she will take over, adding the nest cup and lining it with grass, inner bark, hair and feathers House Wren Facts

16. The stick filled cavity provides “stilts” for the nest cup which allows rainwater to collect at the bottom of the nest cavity without endangering the eggs or young House Wren Facts

17. Females lay four to eight eggs, which are whitish with small reddish brown spots Eggs are incubated 13 to 15 days by the female House Wren Facts

18. Young are born helpless, blind, and naked, and stay in the nest for 12-18 days after hatching House Wrens have two to three broods a year House Wren Facts

19. House Wrens are known for destroying the eggs or young of other birds nesting within 100 feet of their own nest In some areas, this is the primary source of nesting failure for Tree Swallows, chickadees and bluebirds House Wren Facts

20. The oldest banded Carolina Wren was 9 years and 3 months old The oldest banded House Wren was 9 years old Longest Lifetimes

21. For more information about wrens, visit our online field guide: www.rightbird.com Web Resource