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Description:
The Wren is instantly
recognisable as a tiny warm-brown bird with a restless nature,
often seen holding its short, stubby tail erect. Although
the Wren has a smaller wing length than a Goldcrest of Firecrest,
it is a surprisingly stocky bird and is considerably heavier.
When seen at close range, the delicate tones of the warm-brown
plumage become visible as does the rather long bill and pale-coloured
line above the eye (known as the supercilium). Rather surprisingly
for a bird of this size, the Wren has a loud song, well-structured
and consisting of a series of clear but shrill notes. Equally
familiar is the scolding alarm call, a rapid chittering.
Ecology & Behaviour:
The Wren will
nest in all sorts of nooks and crannies. In rocky areas it
lives up to its name Troglodytes (the cave dweller).
In gardens the nest is most often in ivy, creepers or other
dense vegetation. Ordinary tit boxes are sometimes used, filled
with a complete ball made of moss, leaves and grass. If you
find a Wren nest without a feather lining this will be one
of several built by the male. Later, it may be accepted by
the female, lined and then used – so don’t remove
unused Wren’s nests.
Being such a
small bird, means that Wrens can be particularly vulnerable
to cold weather. Famously cold winters, like that of 1962—63,
may knock our Wren population back to a fraction of its former
size. Despite this vulnerability, however, the Wren maintains
its numbers over the long term, thanks to their ability to
fledge large numbers of young in a good summer.
The Wren eats
all sorts of insects and spiders but many garden nesters favour
moth larvae in particular, destroying huge numbers of pests
such as the dreaded winter month. They prefer the densest
undergrowth for both feeding and nesting, only emerging in
the coldest weather to take small scraps of food from the
ground beneath bird tables.
Garden BirdWatch links
A 'Focus On' article on the Wren
appeared in issue 11 of the Bird
Table magazine. Garden BirdWatch participants can download
a copy of this article from the participant only pages.
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