Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) Species Guide: Appearance, Diet, Habitat, Behavior, Stats, And Conservation Status

Species Guide | Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

APPEARANCE

One of the smallest birds in the UK, the Eurasian Wren is predominantly chestnut brown with a rather rotund appearance. They have slender bills and round wings. You will often see them taking a similar stance as a Robin with their narrow tail sticking up vertically. Wrens are extremely active birds, constantly darting from one place to another in search of food.

Diet

Wrens have a varied diet consisting of insects, seeds, and berries. They typically don’t visit bird feeders directly, though they are frequently near feeders in search of fallen seeds. 

HABITAT

Wrens can be found in a range of habitats. Whilst they favor Broadleaf, Coniferous, and Scrub environments, they have adapted to pretty much any environment including towns and rural areas. They have become one of the most numerous birds in the British Isles including the Outer Isles. Their small size does make them vulnerable to cold winters, during which; populations of wrens can decline significantly.

Some ornithological organizations claim that sub-species of wrens have developed in remote areas¹.

Note that this map is for a rough illustration of animal distribution across the UK², whereby light green indicates established populations.

Behavior

Despite Wrens being one of the smallest birds in the British Isles, they have impressively powerful voices. Their call is a very distinctive “Tic-tic-tic” sound, whilst their song consists of a series of whistles.

Did You Know? The Wrens voice is ten times louder, weight for weight, than a cockerel!

Male Wrens construct several nests within their territorial area. They are called “cock nests” and are constructed in the nooks of trees, hedges, walls, and banks using lichen, leaves, moss and grass. Each nest is a neat little dome with a side entrance. The female selects one of the nest sites from the options and then lines it generously with feathers. 

The female lays between 5-6 eggs which are incubated by the female for up to 18 days. After hatching, the female takes responsibility for feeding the nestlings until they are fledged; which takes a further 14 to 18 days. After which, both parents look after the fledglings. Wrens can have up to two broods per year, the first from mid-April. It’s not unknown for a single male to have multiple nesting females within his territorial area.

STATS

NATURAL PREDATORS

Wrens have a range of predators including owls, hawks, jays, magpies, woodpeckers, weasels, squirrels, and domestic cats.

Conservation Status

The Wren is Amber listed in the UK due to the risk posed by cold winters on their numbers. They are globally listed as Least Concern by the International Union For Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

U.K.
Conservation Status

Global
Conservation Status

References

1. Witherby, H.F., ed. (1943). Handbook of British Birds. Vol. 2: Warblers to Owls. H.F. and G. Witherby. pp. 213–219.
2. Population data based on BTO assessment
3. Featherbase
4. BTO