CAROLINA WREN GALLERY
(Thryothorus ludovicianus)
eBird gives this description of the Carolina Wren: Bold white eyebrow. Warm brown above, buffy-orange underparts. Slightly decurved bill. Tail is about as long as body and often cocked up. Usually in hiding in dense vegetation, tangled understory, or brush piles in forested areas. Nests in peculiar places around backyards, such as tucked in a drainpipe or grill. Occasionally feeds on suet or mealworms at feeding stations. Listen for loud, ringing song and variety of calls. Unlike House Wren they are not migratory and stay nearby their breeding grounds year-round.
I have seen this bird numerous times in MBY, but not on a daily basis. I have also seen this bird at Warbler Woods on a number of occasions.
“Cool Facts” About the Carolina Wren From All About Birds…
- The Carolina Wren is sensitive to cold weather, with the northern populations decreasing markedly after severe winters. The gradually increasing winter temperatures over the last century may have been responsible for the northward range expansion seen in the mid-1900s.
- Unlike other wren species in its genus, only the male Carolina Wren sings the loud song. In other species, such as the Stripe-breasted Wren of Central America, both members of a pair sing together. The male and female sing different parts, and usually interweave their songs such that they sound like a single bird singing.
- One captive male Carolina Wren sang nearly 3,000 times in a single day.
- A pair bond may form between a male and a female at any time of the year, and the pair will stay together for life. Members of a pair stay together on their territory year-round, and forage and move around the territory together.
- The oldest recorded Carolina Wren was at least 7 years, 8 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Florida in 2004. It had been banded in the same state in 1997.