WRENS

Bewick’s Wren

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Thryomanes bewickii

The Bewick's Wren is a wren native to North America. It is similar in appearance to the Carolina Wren, but it has a long tail that is tipped in white. Their song is loud and melodious, much like the song of other wrens.

Adults have rusty-brown upperparts and grayish-white underparts. They have less spotted plumage than other wrens’ species. Their long tail is brown, finely barred with blackish and white tips on outer feathers.

Juveniles resemble adults but have scaled appearance on breast, due to dark edges of feathers.

The Bewick's wren has an average length of 5.1 inches and an average weight of 8 - 12 grams.

CALL: Include a flat, hollow “jip”, and a raspy scolding alarm call.

SONG: It is a high, thin buzz and warble, often compared to Song Sparrow’s song. There are a series of whistled phrases, and also trills.

They feed mainly on invertebrates such as bugs, beetles, bees and wasps, caterpillars, butterflies and moths, and on spiders. They also consume some vegetable matter during winter.

They live in shrubby areas, near thickets or woodlands, scrubs in open country and chaparral. They often frequent vicinity of human habitations, and in residential areas in towns and cities. But they are often found near streams.

Southern British Columbia to southern Mexico. They breed along Pacific coasts, and also from southern Wyoming to central Missouri and southwards to Arizona, eastern Texas and into southern Mexico.

Both adults build the nest, a cup open at the top. It is made with sticks, leaves, grasses, rootlets and other debris and lined with feathers and hair, and often with bits of snakeskin.

The female lays 5 - 7 white eggs with brown, lilac or purplish dots. Incubation lasts about 14 - 16 days, by the female. She is fed at the nest by the male during this period. The altricial chicks are fed by both parents with small insects, worms and caterpillars. The young fledge at 14 - 16 days after hatching.

SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.oiseaux-birds.com