A medium-sized wren with distinctive white eyebrow stripe.

Also called: Bewick's

Native status: Native; declining in eastern range

§ Quick facts

SizeBody 12–14 cm (4.7–5.5 in); wingspan 18 cm
Weight8–12 g
LifespanWild typically 8 years
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyTroglodytidae

§ Encyclopedia

Bewick's wren is a wren native to North America. It is the only species placed in the genus Thryomanes. At about 14 cm (5.5 in) long, it is grey-brown above, white below, with a long white eyebrow. While similar in appearance to the Carolina wren, it has a long tail that is tipped in white. The song is loud and melodious, much like the song of other wrens. It lives in thickets, brush piles and hedgerows, open woodlands and scrubby areas, often near streams. It eats insects and spiders, which it gleans from vegetation or finds on the ground.

Source: Wikipedia — Bewick's wren Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Medium-small wren with long expressive white-tipped tail; brown back, gray belly; bold white eyebrow stripe.

Similar species. Carolina Wren (warmer brown, buff belly, shorter tail). House Wren (no white eyebrow, shorter tail). Marsh Wren (white-streaked back).

Voice. Highly variable rich warbling song — often described as "starting with three or four short notes followed by a buzzy trill."

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Insects (beetles, true bugs, caterpillars, ants), spiders, seeds, occasional fruit.

Behavior. Has disappeared from most of eastern North America (formerly common east of the Mississippi). Causes of decline unclear — possibly competition with House Wren and Carolina Wren, both of which destroy Bewick's Wren eggs. Western populations remain abundant from California to Texas. Young males learn song from neighboring adult males, so each population has distinct local song "dialects."

§ Range

Western US

§ Habitat

Diverse habitats

§ Threats

Habitat loss, climate change.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the bewick's wren is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Support western habitat conservation.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • Cornell Lab — All About Birds
  • American Bird Conservancy
  • iNaturalist
  • IUCN Red List 2018