A common, familiar wren across most of North America. Adult is earthy brown overall with fine black bars on wings, tail, and undertail coverts. Throat is pale and unmarked, contrasting weakly with buffy-brown underparts. Pale buffy supercilium blends into darker auricular patch. Bill is relatively long and slender, slightly decurved. Sexes are similar. Like other wrens, often holds tail cocked upright, especially when active.

Length: 12 (cm) Wingspan: 15 (cm)

Voice:

Churring, husky, loud, rasping song forms a series of trills, warbles, and rattles. Call notes are throaty, scolding, burry.

Habitat:

Suburbs, backyards, parks, woodland edges, forest clearings, burned areas.

Behavior:

Common and generally conspicuous; sings loudly from elevated perches. Males are very territorial and aggressive. Nest of coarse twigs, lined with fine grasses, is placed in cavity. Males build several nests, among which the female chooses one to raise young. Often uses birdhouses. Sometimes punctures eggs of other nearby bird nests.

Feeding:

Forages at mid-levels of canopy and in low, dense vegetation, also on ground; gleans foliage for insects.