Wren

The Wren is a tiny, brown bird with a short, cocked tail. They have brown upperparts with fine brown bars and darker brown on their wings. Their underparts are pale brown and heavily streaked on their flanks and tummy. Their tail is chestnut coloured with dark brown streaks. They have long, slender beaks with a black upper part and a yellow lower part. It has a remarkably loud, unmistakeable voice, for such a small bird.

The Wren can be found in a wide range of habitats, including woodland, farmland, heathland, moorland and islands. Most are found in deciduous woodlands and they can be seen all year round.

It is the male who does the nest building and he will build 5 or 6 nests from sticks and moss. The female then chooses which one to nest in and she will help to line it, with feathers and hair. She usually lays between 4 and 7 eggs that she will incubate on her own. Once the chicks fledge both parents will feed them. The Wren is an insectivore and feeds mainly on insects and spiders. They will also eat seeds and berries.

The Wren is the most common breeding bird in Britain.

There are a few subspecies of Wren in Scotland, including the Fair Isle Wren and the St Kilda Wren. Both are native breeding birds of their respective Islands.

Widespread and common throughout Britain.