Important Information on Carolina Wren

Carolina Wren, scientifically known Thryothorus ludovicianus, is a shy bird that can be hard to see. It belongs to the troglodytidae family and delivers an incredible number of decibels for its size. It has rich cinnamon feathers, a white eyebrow stripe, and long tail that cock upward. In recent decades, the bird has been wintering farther and farther north of USA.

The birds are a bit smaller than sparrows and slightly larger than a house wren. Both males and females are 4.7 to 5.5 (12 - 14 cm) in length, with a wingspan of 11.4 in (29 cm). They weigh 0.6 --0.8 oz (18 - 22 g).

Facts about Carolina Wren

The Carolina Wren is rather sensitive to chilly weather. As such, its northern populations decrease significantly following severe winters.

Carolina Wren differs from other wren species in that only the male sings the loud song. Members of a pair in other species including the Stripe-breasted Wren of Central America are known to sing together. The way they sing sounds like a single bird singing since they usually interweave their songs, with the male and female singing different parts.

A single captive male Carolina Wren reportedly sang almost 3,000 times in a single day.

A male and a female may pair up at any time of the year, and mate for life. A pair stays together on their territory throughout the year, scavenging and moving around the territory together.

Habitation

Carolina Wrens live in vegetated places like bottomland woods, lowland cypress swamps, brushy thickets, and ravines full of hemlock and rhododendron. They have a tendency of gravitating toward shrubby, wooded residential places, dilapidated buildings, brushy suburban yards and overgrown farmland.

Food

The bulk of Carolina Wrens’ diet consists of insects and spiders. Its general food includes beetles, grasshoppers, leafhoppers caterpillars, crickets, stick bugs and cockroaches. Also, they occasionally eat lizards, frogs, or even snakes and they additionally eat small quantities of plant substance including fruit pulp and bayberry, sweetgum or poison ivy seeds.

Carolina Wren Nesting Facts

Carolina Wren clutch size is 3 - 7 eggs, with the number of broods ranging from 1 -3. The egg length is 0.7 - 0.8 in (1.7 - 2.1 cm) while the width is 0.6 - 0.6 in (1.4 - 1.6 cm). The eggs are white, cream, or pinkish white in color, with fine rusty-brown spots.

Carolina Wren eggs incubation period is 12 - 16 days while the nestling period is between 10 and 16 days.

Nest Construction

Male and female Carolina Wrens normally build their nests together. Either of them may remain at the site while the other pair collects material. It takes them one week or more to build the first nest. However, later nests take shape in as few as 4 days.

Carolina Wren’s nests vary between 3 - 9 inches in length and 3 - 3 inches in width.

Their nest is huge and shaped like a cup. It is normally domed and has a side entrance. It often has a woven extension such as a porch or entrance ramp. The nest, which is loosely built, is constructed using a wide range of materials including dried grass, dead leaves, bark strips, pine needles, straw, feathers, shed snakeskin, hair, string, paper or plastic.