Eurasian Wren

Overview

The Eurasian wren is a very small insectivorous bird and the only member of the wren family found in the Old World. It is classified as 'Least Concern' on the IUCN Red List due to its extremely large range and substantial population size.

Identification

• Plump and sturdy, measuring 9 to 10 cm in length, with a short tail that is usually held cocked up.
• Rufous brown above and greyer below, indistinctly barred with darker brown and grey; features a cream buff supercilium.
• The male produces a gushing, clear, and shrill song that is ten times louder, weight for weight, than a cockerel.

Habitat

This Palearctic species occupies a great variety of habitats, typically any cultivated or uncultivated area with bushes and low ground cover, such as gardens, hedgerows, thickets, and woodland. It is found across Europe, Asia, and northwestern Africa, often ranging from the sea coast to the tops of the highest moors.

Diet

Insects form the bulk of its diet, chiefly the larvae of butterflies and moths, beetle larvae, and aphids, supplemented by spiders and some seeds. It forages by moving with quick jerks, probing into crevices, examining old masonry, and delving among fallen logs, usually staying near the ground.

Did you know?

The wren's voice is remarkably large for its size, being ten times louder, weight for weight, than a cockerel.