Carolina Wren

Carolina wrens nested in our yard for the first time this year (2004). The first brood was reared in the radiator cowling of an old Farmall tractor in a wagon shed. I discovered the nest as I was about to crank start the tractor causing the female wren to flush from the nest. So much for using that tractor for the next couple weeks, but, luckily, two other tractors were available.

I had often wondered if the reason Carolina wrens hadn't nested in our yard was due to the large population of house wrens. But, a pair of house wrens were nesting at the same time, just 40 feet from this tractor nest and there seemed to be no interaction between the two species. Soon after the first brood successfully fledged, a second nest was discovered in the hay loft of the barn, built in the wire cup of an old apple picker. This brood also successfully fledged. As of today, Nov 6, 2004, the Carolina wrens are still present in the yard, so it looks like we have new permanent residents.

The Carolina wrens are huge in comparison to the house wren and are not quite as boisterous. They also seem to not share the bad habit of destroying the nests of other cavity nesters. When the Carolina wren alights near another bird's nest box, I don't feel the chill running down my neck that the house wren elicits when doing this.

I was surprised several times by a loud and unfamiliar bird song coming from behind the wagon shed. This species uses a variety of songs and I imagine there are others that I haven't yet heard.

The Carolina wrens were almost always found foraging low to the ground, either hopping about on the ground, or picking off insects on the 2 ft tall vegetation where I had recently cleared the debris of a fallen outbuilding. During winters of heavy snow cover, the population of this species often plummets. Hopefully we will not have a severe winter and this oversized and mild mannered wren will be a permanent addition to our yard.

2004 Carolina Wren nest cam

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