Marsh Wren
Cistothorus palustris
The Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) is a common wren found in 4 countries, weighing about 11 g. The marsh wren is a small North American songbird of the wren family.
About the Marsh Wren
The marsh wren is a small North American songbird of the wren family. It was formerly called the long-billed marsh wren to distinguish it from the sedge wren, then known as the short-billed marsh wren.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Adults have brown upperparts with a light brown belly and flanks and a white throat and breast. The back is black with white stripes. They have a dark cap with a white line over the eyes and a short thin bill. The male's song is a loud gurgle used to declare ownership of territory; western males have a more varied repertoire. This little bird is native to Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Their breeding habitat is marshes with tall vegetation such as cattails across North America. In the western United States, some birds are permanent residents.
What the Marsh Wren sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Marsh Wren can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Marsh Wren?
- Adults have brown upperparts with a light brown belly and flanks and a white throat and breast. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Marsh Wren?
- The Marsh Wren is a tiny sized bird weighing about 11 g.
- Where can you see a Marsh Wren?
- The Marsh Wren occurs in 4 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda.
- What does a Marsh Wren sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Marsh Wren on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Marsh Wren?
- The Marsh Wren is most easily confused with the Grass Wren, the Apolinar's Wren and the Merida Wren.
- Is the Marsh Wren endangered?
- The Marsh Wren is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Marsh Wren for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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