June 17, 2021: House Wren
Just back from a month-long family reunion, I was greeted by the lovely sound of a House Wren. A small birdhouse under my deck had remained empty. Now–nest-building activity, with the hope of another wren family!
Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes the wren as a plain brown bird with an effervescent voice. Listen for its rush-and-jumble song in summer, and you’ll find this species zipping through shrubs and low tree branches, snatching at insects. House Wrens will gladly use nest boxes, or you may find their twig-filled nests in flowerpots and door decorations.
They eat a wide variety of insects and spiders, including beetles, caterpillars, earwigs, and daddy longlegs, as well as smaller numbers of more mobile insects such as flies, leafhoppers, and springtails. Maybe our natural insect control?
Now the voices of Gray Catbirds and House Wrens combine.
Happy Birding!