You’re lucky if you spot one of these small birds! They are probably Europe’s shortest bird and they scurry through bushes, flitting restlessly amongst the stems of undergrowth and hiding away. Because of this secretive behaviour wrens are not often seen, leading us to think there are less of them than there actually are. In fact, the wren is a widely distributed and a successful species. Its Latin name means ‘cave dweller’ which aptly describes its introvert characteristics.

Length: 9 - 10cm

Wingspan: 13 - 17cm

Conservation Status: Green

Description: As one of the smallest of European birds the wren is instantly recognisable with a tiny, round body, brown plumage and short perky tail. Both sexes look alike and juveniles look similar to the adults but with a warmer tone to their plumage. They may be tiny but rather surprisingly wrens have one of the loudest voices around. It has a loud song consisting of a series of clear, shrill notes and its scolding alarm call can even scare a cat!

Nesting: Wrens enjoy a wide variety of habitats as long as they offer cover near to the ground. They are particularly fond of undergrowth in woods, thickets and tangles especially in bushy gardens and parks. One of their unique breeding rituals is that the male builds several dome shaped moss nests for the female to choose from. Usually these nests are in bushes, holes in walls or trees but they have been recorded nesting in bird houses, woodpecker holes, empty cow skulls, abandoned hornet nests, deserted swallow nests, watering pots, tin cans, teapots, flowerpots and even old boots. Once the female has chosen her ideal nest the others are left unused. Wrens are typically double brooded producing 5-7 whitish eggs that are delicately speckled with red and eggs incubate for 14-16 days.

Feeding: Wrens like small insects and their larvae, spiders and worms. They rarely visit bird tables - instead they creep under bushes or along walls snapping up insects in their sharp little beak, so if you are hoping to tempt a wren into your garden it’s best to leave food on the ground for them.

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			In winter tiny birds like wrens survive cold nights by roosting communally and huddling together for warmth. An incredible 63 wrens were once found in one nest box!

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