Fun Bewick's Wren Facts For Kids

Discovered by Audubon, Bewick’s wren is native to North America, found in locations like United States, Canada, Mexico, and California. They are about 5.5 in (14 cm) long and are slender with long tails, brown backs, and gray bellies.

When compared to other wrens the plumage of this bird is less mottled. They have barred tails with a small white patch at the outer tip of the tail.

The most prominent feature of a Bewick’s wren (Thryomanes bewickii) is its bold and long white eye-line, which extends from the eye back till the neck. Like all other wrens, their song is melodious and loud.

They are active foragers and mainly insect eaters. Bewick’s wren often climbs on branches and trunks in search of food in the cervices.

They live in open woodlands, thickets, shrubby areas, and hedgerows. They can also be found in gardens and parks in cities and suburbs. North American Cornell lab of ornithology maintains a detailed behavioral record of this species after its discovery by Audubon.

Males and females of this species build nest boxes for nesting which are cup-shaped with leaves. They place grasses inside a protected ledge or a hole in a tree for their eggs.

The young when they are around two weeks after nesting, leave the cup-shaped nest. But they stay together for a couple of weeks more and are fed by their parents. Birds of this species are mainly solitary but sometimes they may remain as a pair year-round during nesting and breeding.

For more relatable content, check out these canyon wren facts and lark sparrow facts for kids.

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Bewick's Wren Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Bewick's wren?

A Bewick's wren (Thryomanes bewickii) is a bird.

What class of animal does a Bewick's wren belong to?

Bewick's wren belongs to the Aves class.

How many Bewick's wrens are there in the world?

The exact number is not available.

Where does a Bewick's wren live?

Bewick's wren prefers dry thickets and open woods.

What is a Bewick's wren's habitat?

Bewick’s wren’s habitat is both bushy and dry climate and also open woodland areas with running water. This helps in building their nests. These species seek protection in cavities such as holes, caves, and rocks. They build their cup-shaped nests for nesting in cavities of trees like oaks and willows.

Who do Bewick's wrens live with?

They are mostly solitary but sometimes they remain in pairs throughout the year.

How long does a Bewick's wren live?

Bewick's wren (Thryomanes bewickii) has a life span of 5-6 years.

How do they reproduce?

Bewick's wren species, engage in monogamous relationships starting every spring and they engage in seasonal breeding. During the winter season, they are mostly solitary.

Again with the onset of spring, these North American birds start looking for new mates as the breeding season starts. When they are one year old they reach sexual maturity and start breeding.

Both males and females make high-pitched calls during the breeding season but males have a special song to attract the female wren. The songs and calls during a breeding season are a combination of whistles and trills and depending on the geographical area the song may differ.

Once a female wren picks up a mate, then both the male and the female start building nests. Building nests for nesting in cavities generally takes 1-8 days.

Bewick’s wrens are oviparous, and the females lay between 3-8 white eggs in the nests. The eggs are oval in shape and spotted brown.

Pairs generally produce one or two broods. However, there is a possibility of a third brood as well. Mostly, females lay one egg per day until the entire brood has been laid with the first brood smallest in size and the last being largest in size.

The female wren sits tightly on the egg until it is hatched in their nests. It usually takes around 15-16 days until all the last eggs are released.

The incubation period range of the eggs is around 14-16 days. Their nesting period range is also around 16 days. The female removes any eggshells that are stuck on their offspring.

Young chicks have yellow beaks, pink skin, and lined with feathers. Both male and female take extreme care of the young chicks and feed them until they are grown up enough to take care of themselves.

There are some speculations that wrens, especially house wrens, are impatient birds and sometimes destroy others' eggs.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of Bewick's wren is Least Concern like house wren.

Bewick's Wren Fun Facts

What do Bewick's wrens look like?

Bewick’s wrens have a slender body with a long tail. They are medium-sized and tend to hold their tails upright. Their bills are downward facing and are slender and long.

The color pattern on a Bewick’s wren is that of a brown and gray pattern. They have a long white stripe on their brow.

Their underbelly is grayish-white and the wings and back are brown. Their longish tail is black in color and the tips of the tail have spots of white. It is very difficult to distinguish between male and female Bewick’s wren.

How cute are they?

Bewick’s wrens are hyperactive creatures and can often be seen bounding from branch to branch. They are also very noisy and love singing. Their white eyebrows which give them a unique look make them that much cuter.

How do they communicate?

Bewick’s wrens sound range from whistles, trills, warbles, calls to burrs. Their whistles and calls are short bursts. Most of the noises and calls they make serve as warnings to intruders to defend their territories. These calls are also performed to attract mates during the breeding season.

How big is a Bewick's wren?

Bewick’s wren is about 5.5 in (14 cm) in length.

How fast can a Bewick's wren fly?

Though exact information is not available, Bewick's wrens are very quick birds and move from one place to the other rapidly. Their flight is also level.

How much does a Bewick's wren weigh?

On average, these birds weigh around 0.4 oz (10 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

These birds do not have sex-based specific names. They are simply referred to as male Bewick’s wren and female Bewick’s wren.

What would you call a baby Bewick's wren?

Baby Bewick’s wrens are called nestlings.

What do they eat?

Bewick’s wrens predominantly eat insects and spiders. The diet or food of this bird can comprise of ants, wasps, bugs, grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, and others. They will also consume berries and seeds.

Are they dangerous?

This bird is not dangerous to humans at all. They are medium-sized birds and actually help the environment by eating insects that might otherwise harm produce.

Would they make a good pet?

Bewick’s wrens are wild birds and do not make good pets. This bird needs space to fly around. In an enclosed setting, this bird will not thrive and will actually suffer.

Did you know...

The Bewick’s wren was first discovered by James Audubon. Audubon recognized this species as a novel bird species. The bird was named by Audubon after Thomas Bewick who was an English naturalist.

The male Bewick’s wren, while on the parents' territory, learns its song. It learns the songs of the neighboring males from other territories. The song that the male Bewick’s wren learns before the winter is retained for his entire life.

Male Bewick’s wren demonstrates typical body language when they want to court a female bird. They hold their heads high and tuck their tails under their bodies to court a female.

To demonstrate their territorial defense, these birds keep wagging their tail and fanning the feather.

To catch prey, this bird can hang upside down. After catching prey, they swallow the entire insect as they do not have many teeth to bite.

According to the North American Cornell lab of ornithology, house wrens played a major role and were responsible for the decline of the Bewick’s wren in eastern and western North America. With the expansion of the house wrens, there was a severe decline of Bewick’s wren.

This decline is most prominent to the east of the Mississippi, near the Mississippi River.

If you wish to attract a Bewick’s wren in your backyard then consider building nest boxes to attract a pair. If food and nest boxes are available then they may visit your backyard and be your guest for some time.

According to Cornell University, a similar species to the Bewick’s wren is the song sparrow. This bird also has a similar song. Both birds are also similar in size and habitat.

Washington has become a permanent residence for wrens now. Washington is also a congregation point for wrens. This situation in Washington has led to some infighting among various wren species. Wrens might abandon nests if they feel unsafe. If the nest is not destroyed, they might return and repair it to live.

A group of wrens has several collective nouns, like a flock, flight, chime, and herd of wrens.

According to data from the North American Cornell lab of ornithology, Cornell University, eastern and western Bewick’s wren populations are considered to be at risk in most parts of the United States. The population in the east of the Mississippi, near the Mississippi River, are in decline.

Western and eastern Bewick's wren has been added to a conservation watchlist by the North American Bird Conservation in 2014.

What do baby Bewick's wrens eat?

Baby Bewick's mainly eat insects and spiders.

What is the song of a house wren?

The song varies depending on the geographical location. A male Bewick’s wren sings multiple songs around 10-15. These songs consist of loud, sweet cheerful, and complex trills and whistles. They also sound like buzzy/raspy scolding.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these  least tern facts and house finch facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our Carolina wren coloring pages.