General

House Wren: Small wren (western parkmanii), with brown head, nape, and back showing very fine dark brown bars, faint white eyebrows, and gray-brown underparts with fine brown bars on flanks and below tail. Wings and tail are brown with darker bars. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

House Wren: Breeds from southern Canada southward to central California, central New Mexico, northern Arkansas, and northern Georgia. Other forms are found from Mexico southward throughout South America and the West Indies. Spends winters in the southern U.S. and Mexico, from California, Texas, and central Arkansas, to southern Maryland and southward to the Gulf coast and throughout Florida. Preferred habitats include open woodlands, forest edges, forest openings, shrubby areas, farmlands, orchards, residential areas, and suburban parks.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"cheh-cheh"

Interesting Facts

 House Wrens are fiercely territorial, they have been known to destroy bluebird and other cavity nester's eggs by piercing them, and then often removing the eggs from the nest.

 There have been occasional reports of House Wrens killing young nestlings (4-5 days old) or throwing them out of the nest.

 House Wrens live up to 7 years in the wild.

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

Author

Gary Owen Dick