Bewick's Wren
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Cavity Nester ⌀ 1.125" Small

Bewick's Wren

Thryomanes bewickii

Slim, long-tailed western wren with a bold white eyebrow and a complex, musical song that males learn from their neighbors. Once common across the eastern US, now mostly a bird of the western half of the country.

IUCN Red List
Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; no known immediate threats to the population.

Floor
4" × 4"
Interior height
8"
Entrance hole
⌀ 1.125"
Mount height
5–10 ft
Breeds
Mar–Jul
Broods / yr
1–2
Cool Facts

Things you didn't know about the Bewick's Wren

01

Bewick's Wrens are the West's answer to the Carolina Wren, but they've been almost entirely displaced east of the Mississippi, likely by competition from House Wrens.

02

Males learn their songs from neighbors, not their fathers. A single male may carry 9–22 distinct song types in his repertoire.

03

They poke their long tail straight up over their back when foraging. A Bewick's signature you can spot from across the yard.

Attract Them

How to bring the Bewick's Wren to your yard

Bewick's Wrens love thickets and tangle. Plant for cover, leave brush, and they'll often use a small nest box in the same spot every year.

Cover & landscaping

Plant or preserve dense native shrubs, manzanita, coyote brush, blackberry brambles, or sumac. The thicker the better.

Box placement

Mount the box 5–8 ft up in a quiet corner of the yard near brushy cover. They'll also use a hanging gourd or a sheltered porch shelf.

Food

Like House Wrens. They're insect specialists. No feeders needed. Garden for native insects with a no-pesticide yard.

Water

A small low birdbath or even a saucer of water tucked under a shrub. They like seclusion when bathing.

Avoid

Don't site the box near House Wren territory if you can help it, Bewick's Wrens are routinely displaced by their more aggressive cousin.

Range & Habitat

Where you'll find them

Once widespread across the eastern US, now mostly a western species, common from the Pacific Coast through the Rockies and into Texas.

By region
  • Pacific Coast & Southwest

    Year-round residents from Washington south through California, Arizona, and into northern Mexico. Common in chaparral, oak woodland, and suburban yards.

  • Texas & Great Plains

    Common throughout central and western Texas, Oklahoma, and into eastern New Mexico. Year-round residents.

  • Eastern US (declining)

    Once common from the Appalachians to Iowa; now rare and locally extinct across most of this range. The few remaining Eastern populations are protected.

  • Mexico

    Resident throughout central and northern Mexico, from Sonora and Chihuahua south to Oaxaca.

Habitat preferences

Shrubby, semi-open habitats: chaparral, oak woodland, riparian thickets, suburban gardens with plenty of dense cover. They love stick piles and hedge corners.

shrublands open woodlands suburbs
10-year local observation heatmap. Click a season above to isolate one band.
Fledgemade Kit

The right house for the Bewick's Wren

Size S

Small body + 1⅛" panel

Body sized to 4"×4" floor. The 1⅛" panel locks out larger nest competitors while letting the Bewick's Wren pass cleanly.

Multi-color presets
Color
Entrance hole size
$39
Customize colors - +$5
Seasonal Care

When to install. When to clean.

Install by
By mid-February
Cleaning
Empty between broods; final clean October
Winter use
Yes, overnight roosts
California / Pacific Northwest
Resident year-round, leave boxes up all winter as roosts.

Year-round resident in much of its range; a clean dry box doubles as a winter shelter.