Winter Wren

The Winter wren is a passerine bird which is known scientifically by the name of Tioglodytes troglodytes. These are also known commonly by the name of Northern Wren. These are small birds which belong to the New World family of wrens known as Trpglodytidae. It is only one among the sixty species of the Old World family. In Europe, the Winter wrens are known simply by the name of Wren.

These birds are noteworthy as songbirds. This is because the songs they sing are long as well as complex in nature. These birds are one among the passerine birds which has even distribution both in Eurasia as well as North America.

These birds are seen in Europe, belts of Asia from the northern Iran as well as Afghanistan to regions in Japan as well as in North America. These birds migrate only to the northern parts.

The scientific name of these birds has been derived from the Greek word called troglodytes which means cave dweller in English.

The Wren has a length of about 9 cm to 10.5 cm. The above parts of the body of the Wrens are rufous brown in colour where as the parts present beneath the body are greyer. These parts are barred using dark brown as well as grey. Even the wings as well as the tail depict this. The bill has a dark brown colour where as the legs are pale brown in colour.

Wrens are restless and stocky birds which can be recognised very easily by the presence of the plumage which is rich brown as well as their tail which is short cocked. The young ones of the wrens have a look which is similar to those of the adult wrens. But the eyebrows of the young ones are not very prominent as the eye brows of adults.

In its flight, the wings are beaten in a rapid fashion. These birds fly in straight lines for very short distance.

The life of the Wren is very fast and in a restless pace. Similarly, the songs of these birds are also restless. It lasts for about just five seconds and makes us feel as if it has put everything into it.

The alarm call of the Wrens is very loud and is similar to teck, teck.

The major foods of these birds are spiders as well as insects which they find as they hop and dash along a ground or while probing in the crevices using the long and thin bill they have. This is what the scientific name points to. Very occasionally, these birds take cheese or seeds from the feeder table on the ground.

The nest boxes of the wrens are open in the front as well as tit. These are used for both winters roosting as well as nesting. The male wrens are involved in the construction of nests which are in the shape of globes. Once the female chooses the nest, the lining is done by her using feathers.

The female wrens lay around 5 to 8 eggs which are smooth, glossy as well as white in colour. They contain reddish spots. The incubation is done by the females for around 13 to 18 days, after which the eggs hatch.