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Winter Wren

Troglodytes troglodytesOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Wrens (Troglodytidae)

Winter Wren Portrait_2
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General

Winter Wren: Tiny wren with barred, dark brown upperparts and pale eyebrows. Brown underparts are heavily barred on flanks, belly, and undertail. Tail is very short. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Winter Wren: Breeds from Alaska and British Columbia east through southern Canada to Newfoundland, and south to California, northern Idaho, the Great Lakes region, and southern New England, and in the mountains to Georgia. Spends winters across much of the southern U.S. south to southern California, the Gulf Coast, and Florida. Dense tangles and thickets in coniferous and mixed forests are preferred habitats.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chirrr", "tik-tik-tik", "kit-kit"

Interesting Facts

 The Winter Wren was first described in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist.

 The scientific name is taken from the Greek word "troglodytes" (from "trogle" a hole, and "dyein" to creep), meaning "cave-dweller", and refers to its habit of disappearing into cavities or crevices while hunting spiders or to roost.

 Per unit weight, this bird delivers its song with 10 times more power than a crowing rooster.

 A group of wrens has many collective nouns, including a "chime", "flight", "flock", and "herd" of wrens.



Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Winter Wren
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family Wren (Troglodytidae)_blue
Species Troglodytes troglodytes
Length4 Inches
Wingspan6 Inches

Winter Wren

Winter Wren: Tiny wren with barred, dark brown upperparts and pale eyebrows. Brown underparts heavily barred on flanks, belly, and undertail. Tail is short. Bill is dark brown. Legs and feet are brown. Only member of the wren family found outside the Americas, occuring in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

● Song: "chirrr", "tik-tik-tik", "kit-kit"

● Foraging & Feeding: Winter Wren: Feeds on insects and other small invertebrates; forages on the ground and along banks of streams.

● Breeding & nesting: Winter Wren: Four to seven white eggs with brown flecks on large end are laid in a bulky nest made of twigs and moss, with an entrance on the side, lined with softer material, and often concealed among upturned roots of a fallen tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 16 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Winter Wren: Sedge Wren is streaked with white on crown and back. Rock Wren is larger with contrasting gray back and brown rump, and has buff tail tip.

Flight Pattern

Weak fluttering flights of short duration.
Winter Wren Body Illustration_2
● Range & Habitat: Winter Wren: Breeds from Alaska and British Columbia east through southern Canada to Newfoundland, and south to California, northern Idaho, the Great Lakes region, and southern New England, and in the mountains to Georgia. Spends winters across much of the southern U.S. south to southern California, the Gulf Coast, and Florida. Dense tangles and thickets in coniferous and mixed forests are preferred habitats.
BreedingPolygamous
PopulationAbundant
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.3 Ounces