The House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) is a very small songbird of the wren family, Troglodytidae. It occurs from Canada to southernmost South America, and is thus the most widely distributed bird in the Americas. It occurs in most suburban areas in its range and it is the single most common wren. Its taxonomy is highly complex and some subspecies groups are often considered separate species.
A small (4 ½ -5 inches) wren, the House Wren is most easily identified by its plain tan-brown back, tan breast, short tail (often held up at an angle), curved bill, and faint white eye-stripes. This species may be distinguished from the similar Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) by that species’ larger size and redder plumage and from Bewick’s Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) by that species’ larger size and brighter eye-stripes. Male and female House Wrens are similar to one another in all seasons. The House Wren breeds in southern Canada and the northern half of the United States, with other breeding populations occurring from southern Mexico and the West Indies to southern South America. In winter, populations breeding in North America winter in the southern half of the United States and northern Mexico. By contrast, tropical and South American House Wren populations are non-migratory. House Wrens inhabit a variety of semi-open habitats, including bushy fields, woodland edges, and scrub. This species has also adapted to life in well-vegetated urban and suburban areas, and its habit of nesting in artificial nest-boxes, also known as “bird houses,” has become part of this species’ English-language common name. House Wrens exclusively eat small insects. In appropriate habitat, House Wrens may be seen foraging for food on the ground or in the branches of bushes and shrubs. Birdwatchers may also listen for this species’ song, a rapid series of warbled notes. House Wrens are most active during the day.
House wrens are a very successful species because they have benefited from forest fragmentation and other human-induced habitat changes. They are quite tolerant of pesticides, habitat alteration and nest disturbance, allowing them to live and reproduce successfully even in human populated areas. This species is protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Act.
US Migratory Bird Act: protected
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
In the wild, house wrens live in open, shrubby woodlands. However, they were named for their preference for small town and suburban backyards and human-made bird houses. Small wood-lots and forest edges are also common habitats for these birds. Human farming and towns have created more good breeding habitat for the wren by breaking forests up into small chunks. This explains why house wrens have expanded their range and their population in North America has grown. During the winter, wrens live in thickets, shrubby and brushy areas, riparian forests, and savannas in the southern United States. In Mexico, they prefer tropical evergreen and semideciduous forests.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Other Habitat Features: urban ; suburban ; agricultural