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Carolina Wren - (Thryothorus
ludovicianus)
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January
12, 2010 - The Carolina wren is getting bolder
and coming closer into camera range in pursuit
of water. Lucky placement of heated birdbath for
all of us. He has really developed a taste for
solid seed shapes too.
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January
8, 2010 - We have had a monthly visit from the
Carolina wren since last May. Daily filling of
the small feeder dish with meal worms was the
apparent first attraction. They are still
dropping by for small seeds served in our
dinner bell feeder.
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It
seems there is much disagreement in the bird
books about the northern division of New York
state for year-round presence of Carolina wrens.
Well, no matter - they have been sighted and
photographed from May to January in our
backyard.
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| August 20, 2009 - We
are pleased that the Carolina Wren finds
our meal worms irresistible. This is our
first year serving these delicious
little guys. With the bird cam set up we
are seeing (new to our notice) birds
enjoy this treat. It's worth the expense
to feed birds who don't usually come to
feeders. This creates many photo
opportunities and brings great
excitement in our backyard (and inside
the house) when we discover a new bird
has visited us. |
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After
studying photos and the reference books on our
shelves, we have concluded that we made an error
last October (2008). What we thought was a
winter wren should really be a Carolina Wren.
We had at least two different house wrens since
spring of 2009 (distinctive feather
differences). When we spotted a larger wren
with a noticeable white eye stripe, we did some
serious research.
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It has been difficult to get clear close-ups
because the wrens only come to the feeders to
eat mealworms and occasionally visit the
birdbath to drink water to wash them down. Photo
updates will be forthcoming, we hope.
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On October 27, 2008 I
watched a new little bird come to the pond to
take a drink. Because it was almost 5:00 in the
evening and starting to get dark, the photos
were of rather poor quality, so I was content to
just watch. |
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Size:
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Length: 5.5 in
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Weight: .7 oz |
Wingspan: 7.75 in |
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ID:
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Male: Largest wren in eastern North
America; gray bill long, sharp, slightly
downcurved; short, often upraised tail
with heavy dark barring; wings
barred with dark brown; rusty to warm
brown upperparts; white chin and
throat; bold white eye stripe running
from beak towards back of head; warm,
buff underparts; silver gray
anisodactylous (three toes point forward
and one toe points backward)
Female and Juvenile: Similar to male
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Habitat:
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Forest undergrowth; thickets and
shrubs; suburban gardens
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Diet:
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Insects and invertebrates found in
trees or by foraging on ground; berries,
fruits and seeds; will come to feeders
for peanut products, suet and mealworms
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits: Monogamous and
solitary; 2 broods per year
Local Breeding Period: Mid-March to
early April
Nests: Female and male build in any
cavity large enough to hold bulky nest
(logs, under tree roots or in parts of
buildings, nest boxes, and often in
unusual places); mass of twigs, leaves,
bark, moss, lined with feathers, grass
and moss
Eggs: 4-8 pinkish white heavily speckled
with brown mostly at large end; female
incubates 12-14 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless,
naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest
12-14 days; fed by both parents
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Social Activities:
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Energetic; usually stays hidden in
bushes and tangles; often seen in pairs;
scampers on ground to forage for insects
and berries; will roost in nest boxes
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Range:
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Non migrator; Southern New England,
west to Iowa and all of Southeastern US
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Vocalization:
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Beautiful singing voice, bold and
clear; can sing 25-40 songs; male will
perch on conspicuous branch while female
may chatter along; "teakettle,
teakettle, teakettle; or cherry, cherry,
cherry; can make harsh, scolding rattle
or sharp chip
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| Lifespan: |
At least 9 years |
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