Birds and wildlife

Wren

Troglodytes troglodytesGroup: WrensUK Conservation status:Amber

How to identify

The Wren is a tiny brown bird, although it's heavier and not as slim as the even smaller Goldcrest. It's almost round in shape with a fine bill, quite long legs and toes, very short round wings and a short, narrow tail, which is sometimes stuck up vertically. For such a small bird, it has a remarkably loud voice. It's the most common UK breeding bird, and a common garden visitor, although it suffers declines during prolonged, severely cold winters.

Call

Wren

Patrik Åberg / xeno-canto

Key features to look out for

  • A tiny brown bird – one of the UK’s smallest 
  • Short tail, often characteristically cocked 
  • Thin, sharply pointed beak 
  • Brown all over, with paler underparts and darker wings which have delicate barring 
  • Pale ‘eyebrow’ stripe 
  • Often looks almost round in shape  
  • Males and females look the same 
A Wren perched on the very end of a twig, looking to fly off.
Wren
Did you know?

More than 60 Wrens were once found snuggled up together in a nest box to keep warm!

Where to see them

Despite being the UK’s commonest breeding birds, Wrens can be surprisingly difficult to see, because of their tiny size and habit of hiding away in vegetation. They live in most habitats across the UK, including mature gardens, woodlands and farmland.

Key

  1. Resident
  2. Passage
  3. Summer
  4. Winter
* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Behaviour

Wrens are always on the move, flitting about in the undergrowth, in rocky crevices and in trees, as they search for insects. They also eat seeds and berries, particularly in winter when insects are harder to find, and sometimes make the most of crumbs that have fallen from bird feeders. You might see one singing from an elevated perch. 

Call/song

For such little birds, Wrens have an incredibly loud voice! Their song is a succession of high-pitched whistles, ending with a trill. Their call is a loud ‘tic-tic-tic’.

Nesting

Males build several different nests in the nooks and crannies of trees, climbers, walls and banks. A female will inspect the various nest options before choosing one and lining it with feathers.

A lone Wren perched on top of yellow gorse.
Wren
Small brown birds you might see in your garden

Have you seen a small, brown bird in your garden and you’re not sure what it is? There are lots of potential contenders, so take a look at these ID tips to help you to work out the identity of your mystery bird.

Key facts