Wrens: Troglodytidae - Physical Characteristics, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, Wrens And People, Conservation Status, Cactus Wren (campylorhynchus Brunneicapillus): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Wrens are an American family of birds that can be found throughout North and South America, as far north as Alaska and northern Canada and as far south as Tierra del Fuego in Argentina (the southern tip of South America). One species lives in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The greatest diversity of species can be found in Central and South America.
HABITAT
The many species and subspecies of wrens live in a large range of habitats depending on their location. They include grasslands, deep forests, forest edges, marshland vegetation such as reeds and cattails, some wetland forests, abandoned farmland, and suburban gardens.
Additional Topics
Wrens range in length from 3.5 to 9 inches (9 to 22 centimeters) and weigh between 0.3 and 2 ounces (8 and 57 grams). This songbird of the undergrowth and scrub has feathers that are generally brown or gray-brown. Its wings are short and rounded. They carry their tails in an upright position. Some of them have prominent bars or spotting on the underparts as well as barring on their tails. Both the…
The eating habits of the majority of wrens remain unknown. The wrens whose eating habits are known—particularly the ten North American species that have been well studied—are primarily carnivores, eating insects. Cactus wrens are one of the known exceptions, eating large quantities of vegetable matter, such as cactus seeds. Other exceptions are the Carolina wren and Bewick's w…
Wrens are often known to be secretive in their habits, though this characteristic does not include all members of the family. Some species, such as the cactus wrens, are very much the opposite of secretive—they are noisy birds who make their presence known. Still, most wrens do like to live quiet lives and spend their days in the lower levels of dense undergrowth. They disappear when they n…
Wrens do not seem to have much of an impact on agriculture or farming. They have been significant to humans throughout the centuries in legend and poetry, and as hunted birds. In Celtic myth, the wren was the king of the oak tree, symbolizing the old year. The robin (part of the thrushes and chats family) was the symbol for the new year. That is suggested as the cause for the practice of some Celt…
Most species are in no known danger of extinction (no longer existing). Some populations have actually increased, while others have declined or become separated due to the loss of forests. Human activities and intervention have actually helped in the case of the northern and southern house wrens, birds known for their easy adaptation to suburban gardens and backyards. Some species, however, are in…
Physical characteristics: The cactus wren measures in length from about 7.2 to 8.5 inches (18 to 21.6 centimeters) and is the largest species of wren in North America. In color, the bird is a chocolate brown on top with a plain cap. Its back is streaked very prominently in black and white, and the wings, which can spread to a length of 10.7 inches (over 27 centimeters), are barred with buff and bl…
Physical characteristics: The house wren can range in length from 4.6 to 5 inches (11.5 to 12.5 centimeters) with a weight of 0.3 to 0.4 ounces (8 to 11 grams). The bird is plain, mostly gray-brown on its upperparts. It has pale gray underparts, narrow black bars on the sides and lower belly, with wings and tail that have a narrow black barring. Its brown eyes have a pale streak above them, and a …
Physical characteristics: The winter wren averages 3.6 to 4 inches (9 to 10 centimeters) in length, with an average weight of 0.3 to 0.4 ounces (8 to 11 grams). It is a very small, short-tailed wren marked heavily by bars. Its upperparts are a warm dark brown, with pronounced markings of narrow dark bars on the wing and tail feathers. Its chin and throat are a grayish brown with a descending color…
Physical characteristics: The black-capped donacobius wren averages in length from 8.5 to 9 inches (21 to 22 centimeters), with a weight of 1.1 to 1.5 ounces (31 to 42 grams). Its appearance makes the bird unique and unmistakable with a head and shoulders that are glossy black, a back that is more of a brown, and a rump that is olive-brown. Its tail feathers are black with noticeable white tips. I…
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about 1 year ago
dianne » amabugcanislupus ((at)) hotmail dot com
THE WRENS AROUND ME, LONG ISLAND NY, ARE NOISEY AT BEDTIME BEFORE THEY FLY INTO THEIR NEST, ALONE. SECONDS AFTER ENTERING THEIR NEST THEY MAKE THIS SOFT NOISE ALMOST AS IF HE/SHE WERE SAFE AND COOING. I WAS LOOKING FOR MORE INFO ON THAT PARTICULAR OBSERVATION. IT WAS INTERESTING TO READ THEY MAKE ALOT OF NOISE SHOWING TERRITORY. I'LL HAVE TO GET MY BOOK OUT TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF WRENS ARE HABITATING HERE.