Bewick’s Wren

The first recorded instance of a Bewick’s Wren sighting in the United States was in 1921 in Louisiana by J.J Audubon. An ornithologist and naturist, he named the bird after his friend Thomas Bewick. Before Audubon named the species, they were part of the “House Wrens” species of the Appalachians and the Mid-west. Almost a century since its naming, the population of the Bewick’s Wren has decreased significantly east of the Mississippi.

About Bewick’s Wren

Some of the reasons for the decrease in their population in the above-mentioned areas include competition for territory with other bird species such as the Carolina Wren, European Starling, House Sparrow, etc. The usage of pesticides on agricultural lands which they tend to inhabit as well as harsh winters have also contributed towards the decline in their population.

Bewick’s Wrens have been compared to House Wrens in terms of their noisiness and high activity. However, unlike House Wrens, Bewick’s Wrens like to inhabit drier and more open areas of land. Their breeding grounds include open woodlands, rock crevices, and their nests can also be found in man-made structures such as buildings and old or
unused automobiles.

They can be found in great numbers in parts of the United States such as southeastern Arizona, California, Texas, etc. However, very little is known about Bewick’s Wrens in these areas. These are small birds whose diets mainly comprise of small insects and larvae of those insects.

Bewick’s Wrens are active and highly interesting birds to spot and gain knowledge about. Therefore, today we will be learning about:

● Bewick’s Wren Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● Bewick’s Wren Size, Eating behavior, Habitat
● Bewick’s Wren Range and Migration, Nesting

GET KIDS BIRD WATCHING

Bewick’s Wren Color Pattern

Bewick’s Wrens have easily identifiable and very apparent features. One of these is the white line just above their eyes. This line can give the impression of a relatively long eyebrow. They also sport a fairly long tail, colored a rusty brown which is also covered with spots of white on the tips. The middle of the tail has barring details in a darker brown or blackish color creating stripe-like patterns.

The plumage of Bewick’s Wrens consists generally of various shades of brown and white feathers. Their upper parts are brown to greyish brown, with their wings being colored a darker shade of brown as compared to their body. Their belly and underparts sport white or whiteish grey coloring. They also have grey-washed flanks and sides.

As younglings, Bewick’s Wrens sport a yellow bill complementing the yellow coloring with an orange tinge in their gapes. As adults, their mandibles turn brown or black along with a light and pale grey at the base of the mandible. Their eyes are colored a beautiful auburn or mars brown.

Description and Identification

It is fairly easy to identify Bewick’s Wrens due to their long tails and unusual coloring above their eyes. This species is one of the small bird species, but for a Wren they are medium-sized. These Wren’s like other Wren’s are not sexually dimorphic, meaning, both males and females of this species look alike. It can often be difficult to differentiate between the two.

Bewick’s Wrens can often be mistaken for Carolina Wren, due to their similar appearance. However, Carolina Wren is larger in size as compared to Bewick’s Wren. White spots on the tips of the tail which are sported by Bewick’s Wren are also absent on the tails of Carolina Wrens. Bewick’s Wrens are smaller, more slender, and have much longer tails as compared to their counterparts. Another difference between the two Wrens is their song. Carolina Wrens have a more rapid and repeated triplet for their songs, whereas the songs of Bewick’s Wrens sound more like songs of Song Sparrows with three distinct parts.

Another great way to identify Bewick’s Wrens is through their songs and calls. Although they sound similar to that of Song Sparrow, they can be differentiated easily. Their songs are made up of three parts which are then used in various different ways in several situations. These three parts are turned into calls as well as songs. Only the males of this
species are known to sing.

Bewick’s Wren Song

The younglings of this species start vocalizing and singing during fledging. The male younglings begin vocalizing what is called a subsong. This is a jumble of various notes and adult phrases. This is done in order to start establishing territories as they leave the nest and start their life away from their parents. Songs are often learned from other
Bewick’s Wrens in the neighboring territories and therefore can have geographical variations.

Songs vocalized to defend and claim territories are made up of 3-5 phrases which are then sung with rhythm and include 1-2 trills. A 5 phrase territorial song can sound like see-tue-wee-tue-eee. As the songs change over geographical regions, it creates various dialects. The 5 phrase song mentioned earlier is native to the eastern populations of Bewick’s Wren.

Bewick’s Wren Size

As mentioned earlier, Bewick’s Wrens are small birds with unusually large tails. However, in the category of Wrens, they are considered to be medium-sized birds. Like the songs vary geographically, the size and proportions are also known to vary slightly with changes in the region. However, no matter what geographical area, the males are slightly bigger in size as compared to the females. Although, this difference might not be enough to help differentiate between the two sexes.

The average wingspan for the males of this species is recorded to be 5.82 cm and for the females, it is 5.56 cm. The body mass of the males on average is observed to be 9.9 gm whereas for the females it’s seen to be 9.1 gm.

Bewick’s Wren Behavior

In terms of their behavior, typically males of the majority of the species are known to be territorial. It is a similar case with Bewick’s Wren, however, like several other species, the territorial defense does not involve the physical display or aerial chases. Males of this species claim and defend their territories through vocalization which include calls and
various territorial songs.

Like several other Wrens, Bewick’s Wrens are mainly monogamous, mating for life. However, a few cases of polygamy have been reported with the males seeking out new partners when their female counterpart is incubating. From the recorded cases majority of these attempts at polygamy have been unsuccessful, with only a few males succeeding at finding another mate.

Bewick’s Wrens are generally sociable birds, but pairs have been known to separate during the winter months and live solitarily. In terms of interaction with other species, they have been known to have friends as well as territorial dispute interactions with House Wrens.

The flight of this species is made up of short movements, they tend to fly for 2-12 meters and perch upon available space. When foraging, they use short steps and hops while moving around. They are also known to turn leaves over with their bills in order to find prey.

Adults typically roost by themselves at sunset. They find empty cavities in trees, vines, posts, etc. for this purpose. Young Bewick’s Wrens roost in groups until about 1 month old. In case of poor weather and the summer season, this species tends to roost before sunset as well.

What Bewick’s Wrens Eat

The diets of Bewick’s Wren mainly consist of arthropods and their larvae. Some of the arthropods they feed on include, wasps, various types of bees, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, some butterflies, and their larvae as well as flies and insects such as spiders. In some cases, they are known to consume small fruits, seeds, and plant waste.

While feeding, they tend to swallow their prey whole. In case the prey has wings, such as butterflies or moths, they tend to remove the wings from the body before consuming the prey. Nestling Bewick’s Wrens are typically fed more of grasshoppers, spiders, and various insect larvae.

Where Bewick’s Wren Live and Their Habitat

Bewick’s Wrens tend to typically inhabit open as well as riparian woodlands, along with areas in the open countryside with an abundance of thickets or scrubs. During the breeding season, their habitats are located in areas with scrubby and thick vegetation cover which aid in hiding the nests.

Populations located in the eastern United States have also been observed using outhouses in the countryside and farm areas as their habitats. They can also be found on higher ground in valleys. However, they prefer broad valleys with an abundance of space as compared to narrow valleys. Populations in the western parts of the country are known
to spend the breeding months away from areas with human population and they prefer to inhabit brushy areas.

Range and Migration

Bewick’s Wrens are spread all over the North American continent, with populations being located as north as the southwestern British Columbia in Canada and as south as southern Mexico.

In the western part of the continent, the species prefers to inhabit areas near the coast, but populations are also found in some areas away from the coastal lines. In the western parts of the United States, they can be located in Washington, with populations being dense along the Strait of Georgia. Populations of this species can be found in various states across the US including the central United States.

In terms of migration, the majority of the population of Bewick’s Wrens are migratory. However, small portions of the population in the western United States and Mexico have known to be sedentary.

Bewick’s Wren Lifecycle

During the breeding season, the females lay eggs between the first and the third morning after the nest is built. The eggs are small and oval in shape with their base color being white along with spots of red, brown, lilac, etc. contrasting the white. Eggs are generally laid early in the morning, typically before 7 am. The average clutch size is between 3-7 eggs.

The eggs once laid are incubated only by the female and the incubation period lasts between 14-16 days. A pair can have two broods a year. Right before the eggs are about the hatch, the females of the species flutter their wings and have been observed to display nervous behavior. As soon as all the eggs have hatched, the females remove the
shells from the nest creating more space for the hatchlings. The hatchlings remain in the nest for approximately 14-16 days and start fledging soon after. The younglings are typically coerced out of the nests by the female.

Bewick’s Wren Nesting

The building of the nest is initiated by the males of the species after which the female join and can at times take over. The nest is generally built inside a cavity that might be man-made, but majority of the times is natural or created by other species or themselves. However, some birds have been observed building nests in abandoned buildings or outhouses.

The materials used for the construction of the nests depend on the area and the surrounding where the nest is being built. However, in most cases, the nests are constructed using sticks, twigs, rootlets, etc.

Bewick’s Wren Anatomy

Bewick’s Wren are considered to be small birds; however, they are medium-sized in the terms of Wrens. This species has somewhat of an oval-shaped body; however, their underparts and belly make up more of their body as compared to their upper parts. They also have characteristically long tails which they often move rapidly from side to side.

Final Thoughts

Bewick’s Wrens are beautiful and active birds who don’t typically shy away from humans. They are a very common occurrence across most of the North American continent. This species was earlier clubbed together with House Wren under one species but was later distinguished and differentiated by J.J Audubon who named the species after his friend.

Bewick’s Wrens is a species that is typically physically non-aggressive even in cases of territorial disputes. Instead of physical displays and chases, they tend to defend their territory using vocalizations such as various types of calls and songs.

Bewick’s Wrens can be identified using their characteristically long tail as well as the white lines above their eyes that give an impression of eyebrows. To find a Bewick’s Wren, watch out and listen for loud calls and songs sung by the males in the early hours of the day. These birds do not spend a lot of time in open areas therefore you have to be
alert to spot them.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying Bewick’s Wrens

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing Cooper’s Hawks are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Bewick’s Wren Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Bewick’s Wren. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders For Bewick’s Wrens

There are many types of bird feeders. Here are our favorite bird feeders for your backyard. We use all of these bird feeders currently. Kids will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. Using this collection of bird feeders will provide a wide variety and many types of birds.

Best Bird Houses For Bewick’s Wrens

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. These 4 bird houses have become our favorites. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. We spent a little extra money on these bird houses, but they have been worth the higher price and look great.