The Bewick’s Wren (pronounced like “Buick”) is a common wren, at lower elevations, of dry thickets and open woods of the western United States. (J.J. Audubon identified this wren in Louisiana in 1821 and named it for his friend Thomas Bewick, a British engraver.) In Edmonds you can find this wren around the marsh, along the edges of open areas in parks, and in your own gardens if you have shrubby areas and trees.

In Western Washington the Bewick’s Wren is a resident bird. In some areas east of the Mississippi it was migratory, wintering in the Gulf Coast states. Bird researchers have noted a decline in this wren east of the Mississippi and have observed that as the more aggressive House Wren moves into territory, the Bewick’s Wren vacates it. This wren can also get out-competed by European Starlings (introduced) and by Song Sparrows (native), both of which are abundant species here.

The Bewick’s Wren primarily eats insects, including ants and wasps. It is an active and busy forager, climbing and hopping about trunks and limbs, probing bark and crevices for insects. It also feeds on the ground by flipping over leaves in its hunt for insects. This wren will also eat some seeds and berries. It will come to bird feeding stations for seed and suet.

In the spring, the male defends his nesting territory by singing. Both adults can be aggressive enough to puncture the eggs of other birds nesting nearby. The Bewick’s Wren is a cavity nester. It will use sites as diverse as old woodpecker holes, nest boxes, holes in buildings, and mailboxes. The nest is built of twigs, strips of bark, and even trash. It holds a cup of moss, animal hair, and feathers. The female incubates her 5-7 eggs for about two weeks. The young remain in the nest for about two weeks while both parents feed them.

You can listen to the trilled call of a Bewick’s Wren at this link: https://www.xeno-canto.org/160109.

— By Carol Riddell