Marsh Wren Identification

Tiny, round-bodied wren with a short tail that is often held up. Rusty-brown above with black-and-white streaks down its back. Underparts are paler and unstreaked. Individuals in eastern North America are often rustier and more brightly colored than those in the West.

Boisterous bird of wetlands. Sings a gurgling rattling trill, usually while hidden in reeds. Brown above with black-and-white streaks down the back. Note pale eyebrow and unstreaked shoulder.

Adult

A rusty-brown wren with black-and-white streaks down its back, a white eyebrow, and a short, frequently cocked tail.

Clings to reeds, grasping a different stalk in each foot. Rich brown above with dark barring on the tail; paler below with a white throat and breast. Note pale eyebrow.

Small, plump wren with a thin bill. Individuals in eastern North America are rustier and more brightly colored than birds in the West. Note dark barring on tail, black-and-white stripes down the back, unstreaked shoulder, and pale eyebrow.

Builds a nest out of dead grass and sedge stems, secured to stems of marsh vegetation.

(griseus)

Found in wetlands with emergent vegetation such as cattails and bulrushes.

Small wren of wetlands, difficult to see but easy to hear. Look for the pale eyebrow, white throat and breast, black-and-white stripes down the back, and unmarked shoulders.