House Wrens Return! Sort of…
As I had posted last week, it seemed like my house wrens had disappeared. They had built a nest, incubated eggs, fledged young and even rebuilt a nest for a second brood. Then, they were nowhere to be seen or heard. If you’ve ever had house wrens during mating season in your backyard then you know it’s impossible to miss them. The male sings almost nonstop even after he’s attracted a mate. When that singing stopped I got suspicious and I had to investigate.
I opened up the nest box which was a chore because it was so tightly packed with near lumber-grade twigs. In fact, I had to remove the side of the box completely to get a closer look because it wouldn’t open enough to see anything. I didn’t want to destroy the nest just to get a look.
What I found was a newly crafted soft nest the female had finished just before they took a sabbatical. It looked like it was ready for a new clutch of eggs whenever they were ready to put them there. It relieved me to not find dead or murdered birds so that was good. I still had one burning question…
Where did my house wrens go?
An Accidental Sighting Of Sorts
A couple of days ago, I thought I saw a little wren crawling around on my wooden privacy fence in my backyard. It was hard to tell for sure because they’re so fast and the Carolina wrens have returned to my backyard. He wasn’t making the trips both of them were making after the first eggs hatched.
Yesterday, I was sitting outside waiting for my titmice to hand feed when I heard the unmistakable trilling in the woods behind my house. It sounds like they either decided they didn’t like that location or they’ve taken a break before starting their next brood.
I’d Like To Hear What You Think
Leave me a comment and let me know if you’ve had this happen to you before. I’m going to leave the nest in that box because I have feeling they will be back.
Jeff’s Update
The house wrens never did come back and put eggs into the box. Seems they were just staking their claim and building a false nest.
Read The Whole House Wren Story
Tell Me Your House Wren Stories
What To Do With My House Wrens
My House Wrens Are Taking Their Time
Our baby house wrens have disappeared. They were only 9 days old. They were in our garage in a motorcycle helmet on a bookshelf about 5 ft high. The nest does not look disturbed but there are cats on the property. I have never seen the cats in our garage though. Is it possible the birds were moved?
Hi Karen,
If you’re sure they were only 9 days old, that is too young to have fledged the nest. The cats could very well have gotten them. I’m sorry. But if they could even be three days older, they may have gotten out.
Do you see any activity around? Parents feeding young? They do try to be as secretive as possible but you should be able to see something if they’re still around.
My hope is that they’ve gotten out and have NOT become one of the millions of birds killed per year by cats allowed to roam around. Most people don’t realize that they are domestic animals and have been for thousands of years. Roaming around like feral animals is NOT natural for them and that their lives are miserable when so left.
If these are your neighbors’ cats and you are on speaking terms you should share the Cats Indoors website with them. It’s an eye opener for most people.
Please let me know how this turned out, could you?
Jeff
I’ve had House Wrens’ nest on back balcony in Wren houses near bedroom window. Last year just before fledging, all five babies disappeared.. Critters can reach balcony from nearby Oak tree; no cats but occasionally a raccoon. Getting to nest would have caused a racket and I have alarm dogs. So what happened to the babies? They were still crying for food evening before disappearance, and when reaching heads out of nest for feeding, didn’t seem feathered enough to be leaving so soon. It’s a mystery!
Hi Paula,
When you say “wren house” do you mean a house where the entrance hole is nearly level with the bottom of the house? So all little ones would have to do is basically lean forward to stick their heads out? I ask because if it’s not and they were able to climb up, cling and look out they may have been further along than you thought.
I’d have to see a pic of the house where it is to say anything more but I’m suspecting it may have been easy prey for a raccoon. It’s the reason I mount all my houses on poles with baffles.
The most suspicious thing to me is that you didn’t find ANY evidence of the babies. I don’t think I’ve seen a raided box that was just empty without, forgive me, bodies strewn about.
Give me a little more info if you can and thanks for stopping by! You can email the pic to help at birdoculars dot com.
Jeff
Thank you so much for this article, you kept me smiling because I had the exact scenario as you described.
I’m hopeful now I will see my little couple again. Thank you!
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your kind words! I believe you’ve made my day and it’s still morning-LOL! I thought it was a story that would resonate with people. Thank you for confirming this!
Please let us know WHEN (not IF) they return, will you?
Jeff
I appreciate your love of these birds… but do you have any suggestions on discouraging them from around my area? The 430am chipping is very disturbing and it goes on all day long until it’s completely dark. I don’t invite them with any bird houses or boxes. But I would love a way to just not have them near my home. They just have very big mouths and are up way too early.
Hi Ryan,
I’m sorry but this is the first time I’ve had a commenter wish the birds would go away!
Do you have close neighbors who feed them? Do you have any sunflowers or anything they might find appetizing on your property? Do you have a bird bath?
All of these things can make your property attractive to birds.
I’m not being judgemental but I don’t what I would do without the wonderful symphony of bird sounds and songs! But if this is disturbing to you try to see if you can remove what’s getting them to you in the first place. Please don’t do anything that will endanger their lives or the lives of other wildlife.
Jeff
I have had house wrens show up every spring for going on 30 years now. I have several wren houses in the yard, last year I actually got a few pairs to move in, and one poor lonely male who never was successful at attracting a mate.
So this spring, as always about when the iris’s are blooming, my wren song started. YEA.
Well it stopped. Way too soon no more wren song. BUT! I still have a wren, moved into the newest of my houses and has been coming and going from it all day every day. BUT not one song.
Is it possible maybe the male got killed and only the female is left to tend the eggs?
Any other reason the singing stopped?
Note, a few years ago was the first time I heard a catbird. Could NOT get a photo of it let along get close enough to see it but posted the call on youtube and someone said catbird. Well sure enough, last summer I saw them enough to identify them and this year? They are here! Nesting I’m sure right outside my back door, not afraid of me one bit. I saw one catch a bug in mid flight so I’m happy they are here. BUT could their arrival have anything to do with my wrens going silent?
Hi Jenny,
Keeping in mind that singing is often used to attract a mate. So it may reduce when the mate is found. Are you sure there are not still two birds out there?
So glad to hear of your catbird nesting. House wrens are a fearless (and can be murderous as well) species. I doubt the catbird arrival would have affected them.
Jeff