In this blog, Introducing the Carolina Wren, we will share photographs and information about one of our favorite backyard birds: the Carolina Wren. These tiny brown birds are entertaining for sure, but sometimes you cannot help but laugh out loud with some of their silly poses and quirky behaviors!
What makes Carolina Wrens so entertaining to watch?
Carolina Wrens are some of our favorite birds here at Birds of West Cobb! The tiny Carolina Wren seems like a little feathered ball of energy, quietly flitting in to a shrub or other dense foliage. Then, switching to "hop" mode and bouncing all over the place with it's little tail generally pointing upward.
What does the Carolina Wren bird call sound like?
Carolina Wrens sing a series of fun, cheery songs in the morning during Spring and Summer. All of them are SURPRISINGLY LOUD but we welcome them anyway. Their typical happy song sounds a lot like they are singing "CHEERIO, CHEERIO, CHEERIO, CHEERIO". They will usually be perched in a stationary position like a porch railing or a low-limb in a small tree like a Dogwood or Crepe Myrtle. They find a good spot in the sunshine and let this call out, sometimes for 10-minutes or more! On the flip-side, if you hear the alarm call of the Carolina Wren, it could be because either you are too close to their feeders or their nest, or another predator is nearby. Perhaps a Cooper's Hawk, a domestic cat, or even a snake that you haven't even noticed yet. Birds have fantastic eye sight and listening to them can even inform you about your surroundings! This alarm call sounds more like someone "rolling their R's". This will be a short, shrill call repeating many times until they feel the threat has passed! We like to think of it as natures “backyard warning system”.
What do Carolina Wrens eat?
Carolina wrens are extremely beneficial in the garden (one more reason to use as little pesticides as possible, if you needed another one) as they consume a TON of small garden-variety insects, spiders, caterpillars, and butterflies & moths, and we've even seen them perch in a location which allowed them to eat small ants on certain occasions. Additionally, they will also eat earthworms or larvae of insects if given the chance, for example if a sprinkler is running and earthworms all come to the surface, you may spot a Carolina Wren flying in for a quick bite to eat.
What type of bird food will attract Carolina Wrens to my feeder?
Carolina Wrens have a high-protein and high-fat diet, which they rely on to sustain their energy levels and all of their entertaining behaviors. So when they are not eating insects, spiders, caterpillars or worms, they'll be visiting well-stocked bird feeders that have Suet Cakes, Suet Nuggets, or mealworms. We'll add a few links at the bottom of the blog to help you order some of our favorite options for these.
Carolina Wrens built a nest in a glass vase on our porch
When we first started feeding the local wildlife at our home, we had a small chair and table set on our covered front porch. On the top of the table, we had a small glass vase with some fake flowers in it. This vase and fake flowers had been here for several years and had never moved, aside from us washing the pollen off each spring. Often, we enter and exit our house through the garage so we didn't even notice when something had changed. So it was likely being ‘updated’ by our new tenant for a couple of days, maybe even a week before we noticed the modifications made by the Carolina Wren couple.
Mid-Spring that year we noticed that the glass vase suddenly had some pine straw sticking out of the top. Upon further inspection, we realized that birds had built a nest down inside this vase, between the fake flower stems! We were so lucky to have this table sitting directly in front of one of our windows so we could peer out between the blinds, from our living room and watch Wren E. Wren and Mrs. Wren E. Wren incubate and protect the eggs, and then later fly in and out constantly feeding the children over the next few weeks. One evening while the birds were away briefly, I counted 5 eggs in the nest. They were so small that it was incredible to think they would be bouncy, animated little birds in barely a month. This time they ended up with 3 happy healthy young Wrens.
When our Carolina Wrens first left the nest
They grow up so fast! I was washing our cars in the driveway a few weeks later and looked around the corner toward the porch and noticed one small juvenile wren was on the deck floor, under the table! I was afraid that something happened to the nest at first and I wanted to help somehow. I heard the parents making their alarm call at this point and realized they were alarmed by me, being so close to their young. I took a step back and the fledgling flapped a few times and was mid-air in the blink of an eye. This little wren flew right past my face and landed on the roof rack on my car. A few minutes later the other two fledglings popped out of the top of the vase and followed suit.
Where do Carolina Wrens typically build nests?
Some birds are tree or branch nesters, and others are cavity nesters. Some birds even prefer ledges or platforms. However, Carolina Wrens fall into the cavity nesters category. While they will sometimes nest in a birdhouse, they seem to enjoy small spaces and more, let's call it "unique construction". We have seen them nest in a vase, a barbecue, the base of a patio heater, and even an old work boot that was left on our neighbor's porch for too ling. Naturally, they will nest sometimes in low-lying shrubbery, or brush piles. We have enough property that we keep a brush pile out there for them to nest in or forage in, and it has worked well over the years to keep the Carolina Wrens around.
Carolina Wrens sound the alarm call
In the video clip below, Wrenny Wren starts off with one of those shrill, alarm calls, but then switches to his happy "Cheerio cheerio cheerio call". Enjoy!
In this video, we found that Wrens absolutely ADORE small terracotta plates for small plants, as long as a little bit of water has been added. Take a look as he takes a very long enjoyable bath, after digging around and flipping leaves all morning!
What birds are similar to the Carolina Wren?
This photo (below) shows a “Winter Wren”, which is a different species entirely from the Carolina Wren. The Winter Wren often can be seen during migration, or over the Winter-to-Early Spring period where they will generally be found in the Southern states. They are shaped and sized very closely to the Carolina Wren, however they are a different species and almost appear as if they were dirty or have mottled feathers like a fledgling Carolina Wren might have.
How Many Wren Species are their in the North America?
There are NINE species of Wren in North America. While they have similarities between them, they are all unique in their size, coloration, calls and esapecially their diet! While 9 species may seem like a lot, there are actually 88 species of Wrens worldwide! (link to referencing material on wikipedia).
Carolina Wren's can be attracted to your feeder with the following Bird Feed Options
C&S Suet Nuggets: these can be used in a plate or a platform feeder like this one
Dried Mealworms: Note: we tested these and they came out way ahead of "black soldier fly larvae" which apparently have a different taste that our local birds do not enjoy.
Carolina Wren Bird House
Here is a great option for a Carolina Wren Bird House Nest Box
We selected this model because it has the Audubon stamp of approval and it has adequate ventilation. Many of the birdhouse options out there do not have enough airflow and this is very important for the safety of the parents and the young when they nest!
Need more help identifying a Carolina Wren in your yard or at your feeder?
These options are sure to help you identify that energetic bouncy brown ball of feathers in your yard (or on your feeder!)
Thanks for reading our blog and watching our videos!
-BOWC (Lisa & Dan)
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