How to Identify a Wren

The Wren habitats wooded and marshy areas all over the world. Because the little bird usually enjoys nesting near people, it is a very visible bird and easy to spot. Enjoy the Wren singing its long, melodious song at sunrise.

Instructions

Distinguishing Wrens

1. Use your binoculars to find the wren. It's a small bird that is no more than five inches long and weighs around 20 grams.

2. Look for a small brown colored bird with its tail usually pointing upward when sitting.

3. View the wrens feeding on or close to the ground. They like thick forests, woods, brush and marshy vegetation. The wren eats seeds, insects and spiders. Some eat berries.

4. Look for the male wren building several small nests in tight areas such as woodpecker holes, drain pipes, flower pots, cans and other small wholes. The female will pick one of these nests to lay her eggs in.

5. Observe the wren bullying other birds. Although small, these birds like to pester other birds forcing them to leave their territory. They also destroy nests of others, often killing their young.

6. Get lucky and find the Marsh Wren. The little bird isn't easily visible because it spends most of its time foraging for food in dense marshy foliage. The bird is brownish in color with a light throat, white lines by the eyes and brown crown.

Types of Wrens

1. Take a trip to the forests of Africa, Europe or Asia to find the Winter Wren. It has dark brown feathers over its entire body. It sings a melody of notes that can last around 10 seconds.

2. Stay near your home to find the House Wren. Note the House Wren's longer tail. While it closely resembles the Winter Wren with a lighter brown-gray color, the House Wren has a longer tail. Like other wrens, the House Wren also nests in small spaces often near homes.

3. See the Rock Wren in different areas. The Rock Wren is gray with yellow flanks. It one of the larger in the wren family. The bird prefers nesting near rocking slopes and canyons.

4. Hike the canyons to find a reddish-brown wren called the Canyon Wren. The Canyon Wren has a white throat, black stripes on its tail and a gray head with long bill. Find this bird exclusively in deep canyons. They can dig deep into crevices using their long bills to find food.

5. Take notice of the differences in The Bewick's Wren. It is also a brown-gray color, but has less mottled feathers than other wrens. The Bewick's white line extending from its eye to the back of the neck helps distinguish it from other wrens.

Resources

• Learn to identify birds