Wrens are shy and secretive by nature. The best way to find one is listening to its loud musical trills and scolding clicks.
Amazing Facts About the Wren
- The wren is easily recognized by its upward pointing tail and darting flight.
- The wren is a difficult bird to spot due to its brown colouring and small size. They are also shy and secretive by nature. The best way to find one is listening to its loud musical trills and scolding clicks.
- Features of the wren include a slightly curved bill for probing in tree trunks and on the ground for insects and their colouration is brown and grey, with black and white markings on their face, wings and tail. The sexes are similar in colour and the juvenile’s plumage is rather lighter.
- The wren feeds mainly on insects, eating the larvae as well as the adults. Due to its specialised diet, it is difficult to provide food for the wren on the common garden bird table. Special soft-bill food can be purchased now from garden stores to encourage them into your garden.
- The principal threat to this tiny bird comes from the cold weather. Wrens do not migrate, so prolonged periods with sub-zero temperatures and snow-covered ground can severely reduce the British population. Because they have such small bodies,wrens lose heat quickly and soon die if food is hard to find in winter.
- Over 60 wrens were counted entering one nest box in Britain during a severe winter.
- The wren family originates from the Americas and the rest of the world’s species are found there.
- The wren earned the name ‘king of the birds’ in folklore. It flew higher than an eagle, by clinging to its back and only flying off when the larger bird tired.
- It was customary on St. Stephen’s Day (December 26) to stone a wren to death to commemorate the execution of St. Stephen.