Taxonomy/Description

House Wrens are passerines in the Troglodytidae family which groups them together with other wrens. They are monochromatic which means that both males and females look alike. They are 5 inches (13cm) in size. House Wrens have gray-brown upperparts and pale gray underparts with dark barring on the belly and undertail coverts. Their wings and tail are barred with black. Many times their tail is held upright.

photo Ivan Andrijevic

Habitat/Diet

The breeding range of House Wrens expands through most of the United States and into southern Canada. They are found wintering in southern United States and Mexico. In the east, House Wrens prefer habitats at or near deciduous forests and in open woodlands. In the western plains, they are primarily found in wooded areas around water or in residential areas with trees and shrubs. In the western foothills they prefer habitats of deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous woodlands.

House Wrens forage by picking up items from the surface of soil, turf or sand. Their diet consists of millipedes, spiders and snails as well as a wide range of insects.

photo Ivan Andrijevic

Behavior/Reproduction

House Wrens have a monogamous mating system and 2 clutches per year. During courtship behavior, the male sings while quivering wings and raises his tail. The female then quivers her wings. Many times, the male has already begun nest construction and the pair will inspect the nest afterwards. House Wrens usually nest in natural holes but will use human-made nest boxes. They often compete with a variety of cavity nesters for these nesting sites including European Starlings, Carolina Wrens, House Sparrows, Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds. Many times, male or female House Wrens will spear other species eggs with their beaks in nearby nests so the birds will vacate the cavity.

The female lays 6-8  white eggs marked with brown spots. Both sexes incubate the eggs for the 13 day incubation. The young are altricial which means they are blind, immobile and helpless. The young are ready to leave the nest 12-18 days after they are hatched.

Where to see them in WNY

House Wrens are widely found in WNY during the summer months and are found mainly open woodlands commonly at Tifft Nature Preserve.