Common Nesting Birds

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House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)


Photo © Stephen

House Wren

Photo © Sharon Beals, from the collection of the California Academy of Sciences

House Wren nest

Photo © René Corado

House Wren eggs

Photo © René Corado

Adult (Northern)

Photo © Andy Witchger / Macaulay Library

Adult (Brown-throated)

Photo © Ed Corey / Macaulay Library

Adult (Southern)

Photo © Pablo Re / Macaulay Library

Adult (Cozumel I.)

Photo © Richard Edden / Macaulay Library

Adult (Dominica)

Photo © Brian Sullivan / Macaulay Library

Adult (St. Lucia)

Photo © David Hollie / Macaulay Library

Adult (St. Vincent)

Photo © David Hollie / Macaulay Library

Adult (Grenada)

Photo © Josep del Hoyo / Macaulay Library

Adult (Northern)

Photo © Blair Dudeck / Macaulay Library

Adult (Northern)

Photo © Evan Lipton / Macaulay Library

Adult (Northern)

Photo © Ceredig Roberts / Macaulay Library

Adult (Northern)

Photo © Larry Van Brunt / Macaulay Library

Habitat (Northern)

Photo © Court Harding / Macaulay Library

Song (Northern)

© Brad Walker / Macaulay Library

Song (Northern)

© Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library

Song (Northern)

© Randolph Little / Macaulay Library

Song (Northern)

© Mike Andersen / Macaulay Library

Song (Northern)

© William Evans / Macaulay Library

Song (Northern)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Female song (Northern)

© Randolph Little / Macaulay Library

Calls (Northern)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Calls (Northern)

© Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library

Calls (Northern)

© Bob McGuire / Macaulay Library

Calls (Northern)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Calls (Northern)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Calls (Northern)

© Thomas G. Sander / Macaulay Library

Song (Dominica)

© Ted Parker / Macaulay Library

Song (St. Lucia)

© William Hull / Macaulay Library

Calls (St. Lucia)

© Darrell Peterson / Macaulay Library

Song (St. Vincent)

© Jeff Gerbracht / Macaulay Library

Song (Grenada)

© Kim Wetten / Macaulay Library

Song (Cozumel I.)

© Matthew D. Medler / Macaulay Library

Song (Cozumel I.)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Calls (Cozumel I.)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Calls (Cozumel I.)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Song (Brown-throated)

© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay Library

Song (Brown-throated)

© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay Library

Song (Brown-throated)

© James L. Gulledge / Macaulay Library

Song (Brown-throated)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Calls (Brown-throated)

© William W. H. Gunn / Macaulay Library

Calls (Brown-throated)

© Miguel Aguilar @birdnomad / Macaulay Library

Calls (Brown-throated)

© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay Library

Calls (Brown-throated)

© Geoffrey A. Keller / Macaulay Library

Song (Southern)

© Mike Andersen / Macaulay Library

Calls (Southern)

© Matthew D. Medler / Macaulay Library

Calls (Southern)

© Walter A. Thurber / Macaulay Library

Calls (Southern)

© Bret Whitney / Macaulay Library

Calls (Southern)

© Natxo Areta / Macaulay Library

Calls (Southern)

© Eugene Morton / Macaulay Library

When To Look

Source: Birds of the World

Where To Find It

Habitats

forest

open woodland

shrub

town

Substrates

Nestbox or Birdhouse

In/On Building

Live Tree Cavity

Dead Tree Cavity

What You'll Find

Nest Type

cavity

Chick

Altricial

Clutch Size

4
8

Nest Height

30 ft
1 ft

Nesting Statistics

Incubation Period

13-15
days

Brooding Period

15-17
days

Useful Hints

  • The House Wren song is long and complex, and both males and females sing.
  • As the season progresses, House Wren nests can become infested with mites and other parasites that feed on the wren nestlings. Perhaps to fight this problem, wrens often add spider egg sacs into the materials they build their nests from. In lab studies, once the spiders hatched, they helped the wrens by devouring the nest parasites.
  • The House Wren is a fierce competitor for nest holes. They will harass and peck at much larger birds, sometimes dragging eggs and young out of a nest site they want – even occasionally killing adult birds.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology