Northern House Wren Identification

Small, nondescript brown bird with a short tail, thin bill, and dark barring on wings and tail with a paler throat.

The "Brown-throated" subspecies group, found in Southeastern Arizona and the mountains of Mexico, is warm brown, especially below.

Small, fairly plain brown wren with indistinct eyebrow stripe and strongly barred tail and wings. Bubbly song is given frequently in spring and early summer.

The distinctive loud bubbling song is often heard before the bird is seen.

Dark barring on the wings and tail contrast with the more uniform brown plumage elsewhere.

Forages fairly low in tree branches and shrubs, eating mainly insects and spiders. This video has no audio.

The "Northern" subspecies group breeds across southern Canada and most of the United States.

Nests in nest boxes, old woodpecker nests, natural crevices, and other cavities.

Song is a long, bubbly jumble of trills and scolds given by both males and females. Often pushes tail downward while singing, unlike other wrens.

Found in scrubby habitats, often close to homes and buildings.

Nests in tree cavities and birdhouses, where it is a strong competitor for nest sites and may evict larger birds to claim the spot for its own.