Wrens · Perching birds
Eurasian Wren
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Troglodytes troglodytes
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Voice
Alarm
Alarm
Song
How to recognize it
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9–10 cm long
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Rufous-brown back, greyer underside and dark cross-bars
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Very short tail often held upright
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Quick jerky hops near the ground; loud song with rapid trills
About the species
Russet-brown above and paler buff-brown below, the Eurasian Wren is finely barred across its back and wings. A faint cream eyebrow and slender, slightly downturned bill frame its rounded head. It often holds its very short tail straight up, and males and females look alike.
Near the ground, it darts through tangled cover, hopping over fallen logs and probing cracks in bark, walls and roots for food. A sharp, repeated "tic-tic-tic" call contrasts with its high, clear song, which bursts into quick trills and sounds loud for its size. Males sometimes sing from a low perch with their bodies quivering, and in winter several may huddle overnight in a sheltered hole.
It uses gardens with hedges, woodland undergrowth, reedbeds and other tangled places, usually staying low rather than crossing open ground. Insects, larvae and spiders make up most of its food, though it also takes seeds and berries when animal food is scarce. Many populations stay year-round, while those in northern parts migrate.
Where to find
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In city gardens and parks with hedges, look for the Eurasian Wren low down, making quick dashes through dense grass and shrubs as it searches for insects.
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By old stone walls, watch the cracks for quick probes as it hunts insects.
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Along overgrown stream banks, check roots and brushwood, where it searches damp cover for small invertebrates.
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During the breeding season in conifer forests across much of northern Europe and Asia, listen for a loud, ringing song from a low perch.
