The cute little Carolina Wren is one of the loudest songbirds. The familiar “tea kettle” call is common in urban areas across the eastern half of the US.
Identification: The Carolina Wren is a fairly large wren. Th
e upper parts are a striking chestnut brown and the underparts are an orange-beige color. The head has a pure white “eyebrow”, and the neck is a buff- cream color.
Behavior: Carolina Wrens are friendly inquisitive little birds. The male is especially outgoing and is the only one that produces song. They are very vocal and will sing anytime and any place. They are usually in pairs, and will stay in their home territory year round.
Habitat: Carolina Wrens are adaptable to most locations. They can be found in forests, parks, farm areas, swamps, and tree filled backyards.
Diet: Carolina Wrens feed on insects, larvae, and spiders. In the colder months they eat fruit and berries. Although this is not restricted only to the colder months. I’m constantly chasing them off of our raspberry bushes in early summer.
Nesting: Carolina Wrens are monogamous. Breeding pairs may stay together for years. Both parents work together to construct a nest that is mostly built of twigs. They look for natural locations such as tree branches and holes, but will also use mailboxes, flower pots, and other attractive man-made objects. There are 4-5 eggs laid. Incubation is 14-15 days. The chicks fledge in 12-14 days.
Backyard Tips: Carolina Wrens are quite common in my area. I have at least on pair in my yard year round. Most years they will nest in one of my nest boxes, or in an old vent opening near my kitchen window. For the past two summers they have chosen the vent opening, and I have been fortunate to watch as the chicks fledged. If you’re having trouble attracting Carolina Wrens make sure you have a good supply of black-oil sunflower seeds available and a suet cake with peanuts. Provide a nest box that is specifically designed for wrens, and keep the nest box out all year. I’ve noticed that they will sometimes use the nest boxes to roost at night. An interesting trait I’ve noticed about the Carolina Wren is that even though they will often nest in man-made objects, when using a nest box they seem to prefer the ones that are designed for wrens.
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