Description
This small wren is about two-thirds the size of a sparrow. Its head, back, wings and tail are a medium brown color, while its breast and belly are light gray to nearly white. There is a prominent white stripe above the eye. The tail is fairly long and often held upright as it perches or hops. Each tail feather is tipped with a white spot that give the tail a white outer edge. Bewick’s wrens are most easily confused with the slightly larger Carolina wren, which has a reddish-brown tint to its head, back, wings and tail and a buffy cinnamon-colored breast and belly. Carolina wrens also have a shorter tail that lacks white spots on the feather tips.
Size
Approximately 5 inches in length.
Habitat
Bewick’s wrens are found in central and western Oklahoma throughout the year. It is rare in heavily wooded areas in the eastern third of Oklahoma. This wren occurs in oak woodlands, shrublands, thickets, fencerows and riparian habitats. They are fairly common in urban and residential neighborhoods.
Life Cycle
At feeders, Bewick’s wrens eat suet, miracle meal, shelled sunflower seeds and chopped apples. Away from feeders they forage for spiders, insects and poison ivy berries.
How To Observe
These birds usually travel alone in the winter or sometimes in pairs. They often forage close to the ground around the cover of shrubs, logs and rocks. They regularly visit suet feeders and platform feeders placed near the ground.
