Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Also called wren.
Far louder than a bird of its size has any right to be. The white eyebrow and the cocked tail identify it, and it will nest in a boot, a plant pot or a coat pocket left in a shed.
- Size
- Sparrow-sized — 12–14 cm
- Bill
- Thin and pointed
- Where
- yard, woodland, feeder
- Season
- year round
What it looks like
Warm rusty-brown above and buff-orange below, with a bold white eyebrow stripe, a slightly down-curved bill and a tail usually cocked upright.
The checks that confirm it
- A bold white stripe over the eye.
- Tail habitually cocked up over the back.
- Rich rusty-brown above, warm buff below, no streaking.
- A slightly down-curved bill.
Voice
A ringing, repeated 'teakettle-teakettle-teakettle', astonishingly loud. Only the male sings.
Attracting it
Suet and mealworms. It is one of the few wrens that visits feeders.
Confused with
Smaller, greyer, with no eyebrow stripe and a plainer face.
Streaked below with a conical bill and a tail held down.
Questions about this bird
How do you identify a carolina wren?
A bold white stripe over the eye. Tail habitually cocked up over the back.
What does a carolina wren sound like?
A ringing, repeated 'teakettle-teakettle-teakettle', astonishingly loud. Only the male sings.
How do you attract a carolina wren?
Suet and mealworms. It is one of the few wrens that visits feeders.