One of the loudest wild birds in our area is also one of the smallest! Meet the Carolina Wren. These industrious little birds are seen year-round in the Mid-Atlantic and can be hard to spot because of their size.
They have brown, chunky bodies with a white stripe over their eyes, and tails that are often held straight up unless they are singing. In the spring, they build large and elaborate nests in fairly unusual places that they find in their environments, such as under a propane tank lid or in an old Christmas tree base!
They typically raise 2 broods per year in our area. These little birds prefer spending their time in the underbrush, so keeping a brush pile and some
healthy native shrubs around is a great way to attract them to your backyard. Wrens don’t visit feeders as often as other songbirds, rather they prefer foraging among tree bark and dried leaves for insects. They will eat suet or peanuts during the winter months when wild food isn’t as plentiful. In the winter, pairs will often sleep in cavities or protected spaces together, which will include birdhouses or old woodpecker holes.
