by InspiredWritingResearch

Created on: November 01, 2009   Last Updated: November 02, 2009

Why is a House Wren called a House Wren? Some quick bird facts can explain. These tiny plumpish little songbirds often seen perching on twig or fence (with their stumpy little tails pointed upwards) seem to like humans. A member of the family Troglodytidae, the American House Wren most commonly found in southern and central parts is seen in areas where there is commonly human habitation. They even like to use nest-boxes kindly provided for them by their human admirers and, failing that, will nest in hidey-holes as close to buildings as they can get! House wrens are commonly found throughout the U.S.

Because these sweet little birds are so tiny and quiet, they often display their presence by sound before sight. They can often be heard warbling their soft but surprisingly loud bubbling song from deep within shrubs and undergrowth. Persevering nature fans will be rewarded with a glimpse if they stick around long enough to see the House wren emerge.

They will see a cute brown bird up to about thirteen inches long - the brown can vary from grayish to reddish. Underparts vary in color from cream through white. They have a sweet little eyebrow and also a ring around the eye. The beak of a House Wren is long and thin - good for picking insects off twigs or turning over leaf litter.

Their nests are made from small dry twigs and often have linings of different feathers, moss, hair, lichen,wool, webs, bark,litter or roots. Typically, the nests take about a week to make. House Wrens prefer to nest a couple of meters from the ground but have been know to know to nest up to fifteen meters up.

For such cute-looking birds, House Wrens are very aggressive. They fight fiercely over territory and will even destroy the eggs of rival birds, or even damage their nests. They usually lay two to eight creamy eggs which have red spots. They hatch in about twenty days, the female rarely leaving the nest as the male bird brings provisions. The chicks then take another twenty days to fledge. Despite their tiny size, all wrens need to feed constantly.

At feeding time in the nesting season, it is a cute sight to see a family of pert little brown House Wrens on a fence, the parents desperately flying back and forth to keep them fed! The sight may be enough to send a human family running to purchase some wren nesting boxes for the garden or yard for next season.

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