Bird Guide

Northern House Wren

Troglodytes aedon

Not EvaluatedInvertebratesShrublandCavity nestTiny · 11 g

About the Northern House Wren

The northern house wren is a very small passerine in the wren family Troglodytidae. It is found in southern Canada, the USA and Mexico. It occurs in most suburban areas in its range. It formerly included many subspecies resident in South America and in the Caribbean that are now considered as separate species. The name troglodytes means "hole dweller", and is a reference to the bird's tendency to disappear into crevices when hunting insects or to seek shelter.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

Adult northern house wrens are about 11 to 13 cm (4.3 to 5.1 in) long, with a 15 cm (5.9 in) wingspan and weigh about 10 to 12 g (0.35 to 0.42 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 4.7 to 5.3 cm (1.9 to 2.1 in), the tail is 3.9 to 4.4 cm (1.5 to 1.7 in), the culmen is 1.1 to 1.3 cm (0.43 to 0.51 in) and the tarsus is 1.6 to 1.8 cm (0.63 to 0.71 in). The subspecies vary greatly, with upper parts ranging from dull greyish-brown to rich rufescent-brown, and the underparts ranging from brown, over buff and pale grey, to pure white.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What the Northern House Wren sounds like

Recording: JUAN ANTONIO ALONSO DE JUAN · CC BY 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: steve · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: radrat · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where the Northern House Wren lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in France, Guyana.

When to see the Northern House Wren

Peak activity in May · a summer visitor species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Side by side: Carolina Wren vs Northern House Wren · Eurasian Wren vs Northern House Wren · Northern House Wren vs Winter Wren

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