All About Bewick's Wrens

Here is a recent post from the Union Bay Watch Blog published by Larry Hubbell, long-time local photographer and birder. Here also is an in-depth article about Larry and his work.

On The Fence

A Bewick's Wren is an LBJ. (In this case, the term has nothing to do with our previous president.) 

Brown is an excellent camouflage color for birds especially if they are searching for food on a dead tree. Being mostly brown not only makes birds more difficult to see it also makes them harder to identify. Especially, if they are small, speedy and shy. In frustration, budding birders sometimes short-circuit the identification process by calling tiny coffee-colored birds, little brown jobs i.e. LBJs.

Eighty years ago, our local Bewick's Wrens were thought of as a distinct species. At that time, they were referred to as Seattle Wrens. In time, the scientific perspective changed and they became one of many subspecies of the Bewick's Wren.

Currently, there are still more than a dozen subspecies left in North America. In general, the farther east you go the less likely you are to find living members of whichever subspecies' once inhabited the area.

The plight of the eastern Bewick's Wrens reinforces our need to find ways to coexist with the creatures around us. To do so, we must understand their needs and how our decisions impact their survival. A great place to start is to make sure we know all three species of wrens that live around Union Bay and the ecosystems where they live.

For the advanced birder: What part of a Bewick's Wrens body has spots? 

(If you do not know, in the end, you will find the answer in this post.)

The second species, pictured here, has a shorter tail, a much fainter eyebrow and tends to harvest insects from the forest underbrush. Also, its song is longer and filled with rapid-fire crisp little notes which roll up and down in pitch. It is the Pacific Wren. About the only places, I run across them is in the brushy portions of Interlaken Park or the Arboretum. If you have them in your yard, then your property is most likely an exceptional Wildlife Sanctuary and/or very close to one.

Until 2010, the Pacific Wren was considered a subspecies of the more eastern Winter Wren. It then became a separate species due to minimal interbreeding and newly discovered genetic differences. They are short-distance migrants who live in our area year-round.

This third species lives primarily among cattails. It has dark and light 'checkering' on its upper back, which the other two species lack. Its songs and calls are the most mechanical sounding and the least melodic of our three wren species. It is a Marsh Wren. 

I see these most commonly in the cattails at the Union Bay Natural Area. I suspect they also reside in the cattails to the east and southeast of Foster Island - but given that these areas can only be accessed via the water I am not there to see them as often.

Marsh Wrens are medium distant migrants. They are in our area year-round, but less frequently in the Winter. Plus, the males are much easier to see and hear during the Spring - when they are loudly advertising all the nests they have built for potential harem members.

The Bewick's Wren is found in a greater variety of habitats than the other two species. It looks for insects in bushes, trees, logs, leaf litter and sometimes on fences. The Bewick's Wren is more likely to venture into your yard than the other two species. On the Pacific Coast these wrens are resident, non-migratory birds. 

All About Birds says, ' Before eastern populations disappeared, some migration was reported from northern parts of the range south to Texas, the Gulf Coast, and Florida.' Clicking on the link above will show you a range map. It indicates there are no longer any year-round populations of Bewick's Wrens east of the Mississippi.

The family name for the wrens of American, Europe, and Asia is Troglodytidae. According to Wikipedia, the name originated from the word 'troglodyte' which essentially means, 'One who lives in a cave.

 

I have yet to see a Bewick's Wren in a cave, but I have seen them looking almost comfortable in a hole in a tree. Did you notice the barring on the long tail?

I have also seen a pair of young, snuggled up together, toward the end of the day, in a hole in a dead snag - most likely excavated by a Pileated Woodpecker. All About Birds describes Bewick's Wren nest sites as including, '...rock crevices and ledges, brush piles, abandoned woodpecker nest cavities, outbuildings, nest boxes and abandoned automobiles.'

A couple of years ago, while watching our local female Pileated Woodpecker, Goldie, excavating for carpenter ants, I noticed a Bewick's Wren who was also watching the woodpecker's progress. The wren is on the right side, in this photo.

Afterward, once the woodpecker moved on, the wren came in for a closer inspection of the woodpecker's various excavations. No doubt hoping for an easy meal.

Bewick's Wrens are smart enough to take food where ever they find it. Last week, I watched one working its way along the top of a fence at the University of Washington. This fence stands along the east end of Husky Stadium practice facility.

As it worked its way along the fence the wren stirred up a cloud of small insects.

It was obvious the wren knew what it was doing.

It would snag the small creatures, then reposition and swallow them while closing in for the next opportunity. It was an extremely fast and fluid hunting expedition.

The little bird worked thirty or forty yards along the top of the fence before it moved on.

Nearly two hundred years ago John James Audubon watched a Bewick's Wren hunt for insects along a fence in Louisiana. If you follow this highlighted link to All About Birds you can scroll down to the second paragraph under 'Cool Facts' and read his quote and also learn how he came up with this species name. Sadly, in 2020, even Audubon would have trouble finding a Bewick's Wren in Louisiana.