General

Marsh Wren: Small wren with lightly barred, warm brown upperparts, black-and-white triangular patch on upper back, and dull white underparts with pale brown sides. Crown is dark and eyebrows are white. Tail is relatively short and dark-barred. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Marsh Wren: Breeds from British Columbia, central interior Canada, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia south to Mexico, the Gulf coast, and Florida. Spends winters across the southern tier of states, north to Washington on the west coast and east to New Jersey. Found in a variety of wetland habitats.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"te-suk-te-suk"

Interesting Facts

 The Marsh Wren is a secretive bird; even when singing the territorial male remains well hidden, briefly climbing a cattail for a look at an intruder.

 Males destroy eggs and nestlings of neighboring birds. They will even attack their own eggs if the female is removed from the nest. This behavior reduces competition for food in their area.

 The males are known for their loud gurgling song. Learning continues throughout their adult life; it has been shown they will imitate songs presented to them on a tape recording or by a live tutor.

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

Author

Gary Owen Dick