House Wren

Troglodytes aedon 

Appearance:
Small, compact bird
Fairly long, curved bill
Longish tail
Gray-brown upperparts
Dull, grayish-white underparts, including sides of head
Dark barring on wings and tail
Juvenile:
     Blackish mottling on breast

Listen to its call.

This is another hatch year bird that we banded last weekend.

Most wrens are small and brown with short wings and tails which they often hold upright. So, how do you tell them apart? Well, here are a few distinguishing features that help with wren identification.

• House Wren -- curved bill, faint eyebrow, fairly long tail and dingy breast
• Bewick's Wren -- straight bills, bold eyebrow and white breast
• Pacific Wren -- almost no tail, bold eyebrow, smaller and darker than House Wren 

Learn more about the House Wren.

Marsh Wren

Cistothorus palusris

Appearance:

• Small bird
• Lightly barred, warm brown upperparts
• Black-and-white triangular patch on back
• Whitish underparts
• Pale brown flanks
• Long, thin black bill
• White eyebrown
• Dark crown
• Short tail, barred with black

Listen to its song.

I saw a number of these birds in the reeds at Swan Lake this afternoon. They appeared to be building their nests in the marshy area at the side of the lake. Flitting in and out of the reeds, they surreptitiously collected bits of grass and fluff for their homes. Then, suddenly, one would burst into song, which seemed at odds with their furtive behaviour. 

Here's a question for you -- what is the difference between a bulrush and a cattail?

Learn more about the Marsh Wren.

Pacific Wren (formerly Winter Wren)

Troglodytes pacificus

Appearance:
Very small songbird
Dark brown upperparts
Buffy-brown breast
Buff eyebrows
Wings and tail barred with black
Short tail, frequently held upright
Short, thin bill

Listen to its song.


This little bird was playing hide-and-seek with me on the grounds of Goward House. I initially saw it out of the corner of my eye as it darted about on the forest floor. I would have lost sight of it had it not started singing energetically. (Their songs have about 36 notes per second on average). Having caught my attention, the bird immediately hid under a pile of brush leading me to search about for it.  I was about to give up hope of finding it and was moving down the path when the bird darted out of its hiding place and began singing again. As before, I approached with my camera raised only to have it dart back into hiding. This went on for quite some time. I swear it was playing some sort of game with me.

 

  

Learn more about the Pacific Wren.

Bewick's Wren

Thryomanes bewickii

Appearance:
Small bird
Brown upperparts
Whitish underparts
Long tail with white corners
Wings and tail barred with black
White eye-line
Thin, pointed bill, curved downward

Listen to its call.

After yesterday's downpour, it was nice to see the sun this morning. It makes wandering around looking for birds so much more enjoyable. Following a pleasant but uneventful walk around Swan Lake, I sat down on a bench to consider my next potential photo stop. While I was thinking, this little bird landed right at my feet. I don't know whether he was aware of my presence or not but he seemed quite happy to hang about for several minutes, giving me ample opportunity to photograph him.

Learn more about the Bewick's Wren.

Additional photo:
             juvenile