Attract nesting Carolina wrens and house wrens by picking the right wren houses. Find out what kind of birdhouse wrens prefer.
Welcome Nesting Wrens With Wren Houses
Updated on Aug. 07, 2024
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Attract Wrens to Nest in Birdhouses
It might surprise you to know it’s the male wren — not the female — that kicks off the nesting process when he returns in spring. His cheery song is a declaration of claimed territory, and he’ll usually want that territory to be in a bushy area with lots of cover. He’ll build multiple partial nests in wren houses or natural tree cavities. When a female finds a home she likes, she’ll mate with the builder.
To attract a wren family to nest in your yard, bird experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman suggest allowing an area of your yard to get a little wild or unruly. Then put a wren birdhouse there. To really help wrens out, the experts say you can offer nesting materials like moss and small twigs.
Meet 6 types of wrens you should know.
Though house wrens are notorious for building nests just about anywhere, it’s best to provide them with houses that can be easily cleaned and are separated from ones meant for different bird species.
Backyard Tip: Since their diet consists mainly of bugs, you’re not likely to attract wrens to feeders, but Kenn and Kimberly say wrens will come to a bird bath with moving water such as a dripper or a small waterfall.
Learn how to identify Carolina wrens and house wrens.
How to Choose the Best Wren Houses
As you might already know, wrens aren’t too picky about nesting sites. As Kenn and Kimberly note, any cavity from mailboxes to jean pockets is fair game to them. But if you’d like to give your wrens a special place to nest, consider buying or building a wren birdhouse.
These nest boxes are small and frequently made of wood, with an opening hole between 1 in. and 1-1/8 in. diameter. Measurements may vary slightly, but generally, the floor should measure about 4 in. by 4 in. (or 4 in. by 6 in. for the base), and the box should be about 8 in. tall. Natural wood and white are good color choices for wren houses. Do not paint the inside of the house as it could be harmful to birds.
Boxes should be placed 5 ft. to 10 ft. off the ground to protect birds from predators, or hung in a tree.
Plans for building your own wren birdhouses are available from Project Nestwatch. Or try this DIY wren birdhouse project.
Frequently, these birdhouses are also suitable for nesting chickadees.
Learn what a Bewick’s wren looks like.
Wrens Will Use Swaying Birdhouses
Wrens prefer homes hung on low tree branches and are one of few species that tolerate swaying birdhouses.
“After I hung a gourd birdhouse in one of the pines near my garden, a wren (above) almost immediately began building a nest. It was fun to see her family each day when I went out to check on the garden,” says Birds & Blooms reader Glynda Stanley of Laurel Fork, Virginia.
Do wren sightings have special meaning?
When to Clean Out a Wren Birdhouse
The same as any other birdhouse, wren nest boxes should be cleaned out in fall after the last brood of the season leaves the nest.
Next, learn how to tell the difference between a wren vs a sparrow.
Sources
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Project Nestwatch
About the Experts
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
