How to Attract Wrens to a Garden

Wrens are clever, inquisitive little brown birds that are easily identifiable by the white stripe behind their eyes and their upright tails. Wrens are a welcome addition to any bird lover's garden because they eat insects and because of their beautiful, cheery song filled with long trills and whistles. Here are some tips to help make your garden more attractive to wrens.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Feed them. While wrens eat mostly insects, they also like bread crumbs, peanut butter, suet and chopped apples. Keep your feeders stocked with these kinds of goodies to encourage wrens to visit your garden.

2. Build a wren house. Wrens like to nest in cavities and have also been known to roost in sheds, light fixtures, deep vines and other outbuildings. You can purchase a bird house that replicates their natural nesting inclination from a wild bird store or build one yourself. A good wren house should be 8 inches long with a 1 1/8 inch entrance hole to keep out sparrows and larger birds. Place the house about 6-10 feet above the ground near trees or shrubs to attract wrens to your garden.

3. Provide water. Water sources, such as birdbaths, are a great draw to wrens. Consider hanging a birdbath or placing one at ground level in your garden. Birdbaths should be no more than 3 inches deep, with sloping sides and a rough surface to provide good footing. Be sure to change the water every two to three days to keep it fresh.

4. Offer nesting materials. Wrens like grass, leaves, feathers and twigs as nesting material. Gather and leave these materials in your garden to attract wrens and encourage them to nest.