Wrens · Perching birds
Eurasian Wren
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Troglodytes troglodytes
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Voice
Alarm
Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart
Alarm
Benoît Van Hecke
Song
Philippe_Grange
How to recognize it
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Tiny, plump, round-bodied
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Very short tail, often held cocked up
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Rufous-brown above, greyer below, fine dark barring
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Loud fast trill or dry rattle; low, close to cover
About the species
The Eurasian Wren is tiny, compact, and always in motion, with a short tail often held cocked. It looks like a little bundle that keeps slipping into grass, under shrubs, and through piles of fallen wood.
It hardly stays still for long, moving quickly through cover and usually keeping low. When it sings, it often chooses a stump, a branch, or a heap of brush, and its voice is startlingly loud for such a small body — sharp calls and busy trills that give it away.
It likes dense undergrowth, damp woods, hedges, gardens, and parks. It feeds mainly on insects and other small invertebrates, then adds berries and seeds in autumn; in milder places it may stay all year, while in the far north some move away for winter.
Where to find
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Along canal banks, pond edges, and reed fringes — look for a tiny brown shape skimming low to the ground and slipping into roots or brambles.
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In mature city parks with dense shrubs and fallen branches, Eurasian Wren often gives itself away by its bright, fast song from a low perch or stump.
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On overgrown vacant lots and weedy embankments, it darts through tangles and stones with quick jerky movements, rarely staying in the open.
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By cracked stone walls, under bridges, and along old masonry, it probes crevices, then pops out for a second before vanishing again.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Troglodytes troglodytes Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Eurasian wren Encyclopedia article