![]() ![]() ![]() This is where they run afoul of some humans. Wrens covet all nest sites on their territory, and can become fierce pillagers of other birds’ nests. Wrens are also known to nest in old boots and shoes, flower pots and items left on out a clothesline. This construction keeps the nestlings above rainwater or other seepage.Ī finished nest might rest on hundreds of twigs, but consider the industrious wren who commandeered a wood duck box on a friend’s property-this large structure was stuffed to the roof with twigs- thousands and thousands of twigs. The sticks aren’t the true nest, but form a platform for holding a small cup nest deep inside. She does an inspection tour, then chooses a single cavity and finishes the nest herself. Males prepare a number of starter nests for a female’s consideration, stuffing all available cavities with 3- and 4-in. Indeed, if you hang several nest boxes, a male wren will usually usurp every one. They ready use of nest boxes endears them to many people. When it comes time to nest they search out tree holes, or crevasses in stone piles, even hollow logs. They stuff their nestlings with a similar diet, along with grasshoppers and crickets. Wrens don’t visit feeders, instead hunting spiders and insects such as beetles, bugs and various caterpillars. In fact, a friend advises anyone who puts up a wren house to make sure they like that distinctive song, “because you’re going to hear it all day long.” For many people, this is their favorite bird: they like the wren’s confiding nature, jaunty cocked tail and loud, burbling song. They’re very tolerant of humans and will nest in just about anywhere with the right overgrown habitat. House wrens are little dynamos, hopping quickly through shrubs and vines, and, in woodlands, across toppled trees and branches. I have to admit to mixed feelings about house wrens, but more about that later. ![]() long), active birds with their turned-up tails. Many people rejoice at the return of these small (under 5-in. One fine day, usually around mid-May, a distinctive bubbly song announces that house wrens are back. Our inner ears are primed for our favorite birds: “Oh, there’s an oriole,” or “Hey, that’s the indigo bunting!” Contributing Writer These tiny, energetic birds are a backyard favorite but it’s not surprising that bluebirds and chickadees consider them home wreckers.īirds are singing from pre-dawn to post-dusk in a heady mixture of trills, chirps, whistles and buzzes. ![]()
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