The Winter Wren is a tiny nomad of a bird.
It is the only member of its family, “Troglodytinae,” to be found outside of
the Americas .
This bird, also called the Eurasian Wren, is often simply referred to as “the
wren” because it is the only species of its kind found in Eurasia .
It was also the first species of its family known to science, and to be given
the name, “wren.” Fifty-nine other species of wren can be found throughout the Americas from Canada
down to Argentina .
The family’s name, “Troglodytinae,” means
cave-dweller, a reference to all wrens’
tendency to disappear in dense vegetation
near the ground. All wrens are various shades of brown and all of them hold
their tails in an erect, upright position. They are all insectivores that possess
often beautiful and complex songs.
The Winter Wren is one of the smallest
birds within its range throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Its tiny size is one
of the keys to its identification, especially in Europe and Asia
where it is the only tiny brown bird that cocks its stubby tail in the typical
wren fashion.
In China , the Winter Wren breeds in
its year-round range in the northeast and northwest corners of the country. It
is also a resident of the central portion of the country and Taiwan . In winter, it can be found
along the East Coast of the country from Dalian
all the way down the coast to Hong Kong .
The Winter Wren is blessed with one of the
most impressive songs in the bird world. It is also one of the loudest songs
for a bird so tiny. The song consists of rising and falling melodious notes and
trills of very clear tone, and lasts for up to half a minute. Following another
half-minutes’ rest, the song starts again. Once heard, the song of this bird is
never forgotten. This amazing song, although most often heard in spring, can be
heard year-round.
The Winter Wren prefers coniferous forests
as habitat, and in the summer breeding season, the male builds several round
nests of grass, leaves, or moss, allowing the female to choose her favorite.
Winter Wrens are polygamous, and a male wren may have several families during
one breeding season.
The Winter Wren feeds on spiders and
insects, including many that hide in crevices during winter months. This bird’s
ability to find insect life in the depths of winter allows it to be a
non-migratory bird throughout much of its range
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