Just as I was observing how we didn't get many interesting birds at our inner-city birdfeeders these days, this little brown fellow flitted in today and went to work on the suet. "Oh look," I cried, "a wren!" But what's a wren doing here in winter? A quick check of my bird book confirmed my ID of this bird as a Carolina Wren (Thryosorus ludovicianus) and informed me that this species has been wintering farther and farther north in recent decades.
Isn't it curious that a wren with the name Carolina would winter this far north, while the Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) migrates south for the winter? Actually, a distribution map in one of my bird guides shows the Winter Wren occasionally wintering over in some areas of New York State, although not this far north. But there'd be no mistaking that wee little bird for this big guy (relatively speaking) with his broad white eyebrow, rusty-brown plain breast, and white chin.
I hope he ate enough of that suet to make it through the bitter cold that has settled upon us now, and I also hope he might stay around through the summer, when we might hear his cheerful "teakettle, teakettle, teakettle" ringing through the shrub thicket around my back yard.
8 comments:
oh lucky you ! we had wrens coming to the suet on Meadowbrook Road all winter. While it's nice to see them, they are aggressive nesters, & sometimes push out other species in the area.
But oh ! that lovely woodgrain pattern in their plumage...
Here in CT I see these lovely Birds in my garden all summer but never have I seen one this time of year. Don't you just love their singing?
That is one cute chubby fellow! I don't think I ever saw a Carolina wren, or I didn't recognize it if I did see it.
Awfully cute!
And I hope he DID eat enough of that good suet to tide him over the cold night, and the days and nights to come!
Huh, kinda' suprised myself, they're that far north, this time of year! Cool! Yes, they are cute, and have distinctive songs or calls. Hope he hangs around!
Carolina wrens will hit the suet and chip away at sunflower seeds. When we moved to northcentral Pennsylvania over 40 years ago we hardly ever saw them, now they're common all winter. A now rare week of very cold weather (near zero or below) will wipe them out, but they reoccupy the vacant territory after the next breeding season as young disperse. Years ago we would sometimes go for several years without any resident birds, but as winters have gotten warmer they're now almost always here. What climate change?
Hope the wren survives this cold! It's frigid here!
Your blog makes me happy. Many thanks.
I haven't had a wren at my house in a while, but they are cute when they're here. I hope he can handle the bitter cold.
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