Marsh Wrens
Wrens
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The Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) is a small songbird of Wren family.
Description:
Adults have brown upperparts with a light brown belly and flanks and a white throat and breast. The back is black with white stripes. They have a dark cap with a white line over the eyes and a short thin bill.
Identification Tips:
- Length: 4 inches
- Short, thin bill
- Bold white supercilium
- Brown upperparts
- Unstreaked crown
- Black back with white streaks
- White throat and breast
- Buffy belly and flanks
- Wings and tail barred with black
- Tail frequently held upright
- Sexes similar
- Found in marshes with tall, grassy vegetation
Similar Species:
- Bewick's Wren is similar but has unstreaked back.
- Sedge Wren has less distinct supercilium and streaked crown.
Nesting:
Their breeding habitat is marshes with tall vegetation such as cattails across North America. The nest is an oval lump attached to marsh vegetation, entered from the side. The male builds many unused nests in his territory; he may puncture the eggs of other birds nesting nearby.
Distribution:
In the western United States, some birds are permanent residents. Other birds migrate to marshes and salt marshes in the southern United States and Mexico. This bird is still common, although its numbers have declined with the loss of suitable wetland habitat.
Diet:
These birds forage actively in vegetation, sometimes flying up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects, also spiders and snails.
Call / Song:
The male's song is a loud gurgle used to declare ownership of territory; western males have a more varied repertoire.
(Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org and USGS; Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.)
Related Web Resources: Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) (Photo & Info) ... Birds of Nova Scotia ... Greennature.com ... Raising House Wrens - House wrens do yard work (nice article and good information for bird lovers) ... Discouraging HouseWrens ... Birdweb.org ... Forest Preserve District of Cook County (Illinois) ... Mangoverde ... Oiseaux.net (great photo)
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