Wrens of the Great State of Nebraska

Of course it depends upon where and when, but you can see

• Carolina Wrens
• Sedge Wrens
• Rock Wrens
• Winter Wrens
• House Wrens
• Marsh Wrens

in Nebraska.

Look for Winter Wrens in the eastern 1/2 of the state during the migratory months in the Fall and Spring. They’re just passing through so you won’t be able to see any nesting, but look for them foraging for insects in rotting wood. Unfortunately you won’t be able to make good use of these free birdhouse plans for Winter Wrens, but there are other wrens that would put them to good use.

If you live in the western 1/3 of Nebraska you are fortunate indeed, because this is about as far east as Rock Wrens will make their homes during the Summer breeding months. They are particularly fond of rocky terrain where they can use their specialized long thin beak to hunt for food.

Two other wren species make a Summer home in Nebraska and can be found just about anywhere in the state:

• Summer Wrens
  • House Wrens
  • Marsh Wrens

Another marsh lover, the Sedge Wren, should make for some good bird watching if you find the right habitat. Unfortunately, you’ll have to travel to the far eastern areas of Nebraska during the Summer months to see them. There is a small section of the Southeastern part of the state that could see some Sedge Wrens during migration.

The last little bird to make its home in Nebraska is the old reliable Carolina Wren. You can find them year round, but only in the Southeastern tip of the state.

In our next adventure we’ll talk wrens of Nevada.

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Wrens of the Great State of Montana

The mountainous areas of Montana are about as far North as you will find Canyon Wrens, and the areas to look for them in the state are fairly sparse. You might have some luck in the canyons in the central western areas. The only other area to bird watch for Canyon Wrens is the mountainous area just to the north of where the northwestern corner of Wyoming meets Montana. Even though they aren’t widely spread throughout the state, at least they are year round residents in the areas they do live.

Winter Wrens are another wren species that limit their travels in Montana. During the summer months you might be able to find some in the western quarter of the state, but during the rest of the year you’ll have to go to the Northwestern tip of Montana to see them.

Rock Wrens and House Wrens are a little more widespread in their travels. In fact, you can find them throughout most of the state during the Summer breeding months. House Wrens might appreciate some shelter, so you could build a birdhouse to attract them. Here are some free birdhouse plans to help you out.

Marsh Wrens can also be found in Montana, but their areas are a little extreme. During the Summer months look for them in the far Northern section of Montana, with the exception of the Northwestern tip, where you won’t find them at anytime during the year. In the Southwest there is a small area that you can find them year round. Throughout the rest of the state, you’ll more likely see them on their migratory paths in the Spring and Fall.

Next time we’ll take a look at the wrens of Nebraska.

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Wrens of the Great State of Missouri

There are quite a few opportunities to see wrens in Missouri, depending on the time of the year and the part of the state you’re in. The old standby, the Carolina Wren, can be seen pretty much throughout the state any time of the year. We posted a picture of a Carolina Wren feeding in MO back in January.

Sedge and Marsh Wrens should make for some good bird watching in the summer months and during the migratory seasons. Sedge Wrens are visible in the northwest quadrant of the state and Marsh Wrens are visible in the northern half of Missouri during the summer breeding months. Don’t forget they both like similar marshy habitats so you might get lucky and spot them both in one outing if you’re observant. The rest of the state could see either one of them in the Spring or Fall on their migration paths.

Winter Wrens can potentially be found just about anywhere in the state during the non-breeding Winter months. They like wooded areas and they like to feed on insects in decaying wood, so use that information to your advantage when looking for them. House Wrens take up the space vacated by the Winter Wrens in the Summer. In MO House Wrens are strictly summer time residents.

The southwestern quadrant of Missouri is one of the furthest East locations in the U.S. where you will find Bewick’s Wrens. It is possible that you could spot them on a bird watching trip at any time during the year. Medium brown on its back with a long speckled tail it can cock up at a sharp angle, Bewick’s wren has a light gray throat, chest and belly.

Help out our feather friends by putting up a wooden birdhouse to give them shelter from predators.

Next time it will be the wrens of Montana.

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Wrens of the Great State of Mississippi

OK, Mississippians, you should be able to find Carolina Wrens throughout the state year round. Sedge Wrens, on the other hand, are a different story. In Mississippi you’ll find Sedge Wrens in most of the state during the non-mating winter months. The extreme North East corner of Mississippi generally sees Sedge Wrens only during their bi-annual migrations to and from the cooler northern states.

Another winter time resident is the Winter Wren. They can be found throughout the state during the cold winter months. Some areas of Mississippi are fortunate enough to have another cold weather visitor. The northwestern quarter of the state is home to winter time Bewick’s Wrens. This is about as far east as you will find Bewick’s Wrens in the winter.

Mississippi House Wrens split their time between the southern 2/3 of the state in the winter, and the northern 1/3 of the state during the hot summer months. Marsh Wrens also split the state between summer and winter, but this split is about 1/3 of Mississippi to the south in the winter and 2/3 of the state to the north for summertime living.

So there you have it, Mississippi is a pretty good state for wren watching, depending of course on what part of the state you are in. Put up a wood birdhouse to help attract even more wrens to your area.

If you want to know more about the wrens of Missouri, come back in a few weeks.

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Carolina Wren Looking for Food

This is a Carolina Wren that was spotted in the backyard of a home in Missouri, near St. Louis. Notice the prominent white stripe over the eye and the rust colored belly. It’s a fat little thing so it must be finding plenty of food. This little wren is probably living in one of the wooden bird houses in the area.

Notice all of the white in the background, that’s still part of the snow cover left from our discussion in the previous post.

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It’s that time of year, make sure you feed the wrens and all of our other feathered friends! With the heavy snowfall it’s even harder for them to fend for themselves. Here’s a shot of a wood birdhouse after an 8″ snowfall.

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Wrens of the Great State of Minnesota

What should you plan on watching for in the way of wrens if you are so lucky as to do some wren watching in Minnesota? The most likely candidates would be

• House Wrens during the summer months
• Winter Wrens during the migratory months

The extreme northeastern areas of Minnesota should have some nesting Winter Wrens in the summertime, and the extreme northwestern section of the state probably won’t see Winter Wrens at any time during the year. Minnesota is a little too far to the northwest to have much luck in finding Carolina Wrens.

House Wrens should be visible across the entire state of Minnesota during the summer months if you are in their habitat. Look for them in heavily wooded areas with fairly heavy underbrush. You could help out the cause by providing them with some shelter, like these free wood birdhouse plans.

You can also find

• Sedge Wrens
• Marsh Wrens

in Minnesota during the summer months. There habitats are going to be a little more challenging for casual wren watching so be sure to bring along the proper gear.

In the next post we’ll head to the South and talk about the wrens that can be found in Mississippi.

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Wrens of the Great State of Michigan

MI Wrens include

• Carolina Wrens
• Sedge Wrens
• House Wrens
• Winter Wrens
• Marsh Wrens

We spent several days just south of the Upper Peninsula last summer at a beautiful summer home on a small sports lake. Naturally I was on the lookout for wrens and their habitat. It was pretty disappointing, being out in the country in what would appear to be an ideal setting for wren watching and not only did we not see a wren, there were hardly any birds at all of any variety in the area we were staying. The place we were staying was heavily wooded with fairly heavy underbrush so it would have seemed like a favorable environment for bird watching.

Marsh Wrens are big migrators and Michigan benefits from the migration by being a home to Marsh Wrens in the summer months. House Wrens are another major summertime migrator. They spend most of the winter in the far south, but in the summer, House Wrens are visitors to Michigan.

The ubiquitous little Carolina Wren seems to be just about everywhere in the eastern half of the U.S., but it doesn’t like the Michigan climate so much. You might find some Carolina Wrens in the southern extremes of MI at any time of the year, but you’ll probably have to search far and wide.

Michigan winters are a little too harsh for most North American Wrens, so they will mostly be found there during the beautiful summer months in the state. Two other summertime residents include Sedge Wrens, that can be found throughout the state in the summer, and Winter Wrens, that seem to like the northern half of the state, including the Upper Peninsula, in the summer time. The southern portion of Michigan do some bird watching for Winter Wrens during their Spring and Fall migrations.

Some of these summer time visitors would really appreciate you making a home for them from free wood birdhouse plans.

Next time, the wrens of Minnesota.

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Wrens of the Great State of Massachusetts

MA is the northern extreme for several of the North American wren species. The southern portion of Massachusetts is a year round home for Carolina Wrens. And the Marsh Wren makes its winter home year round in the southern climes of MA. In the summer time, the Marsh Wren will migrate into the rest of the state.

Two other Massachusetts wren species also live in the state

• Winter Wrens
• House Wrens

Winter Wrens are year round residents. The Winter Wren’s diet of mostly insects allows it to survive rough winters by foraging for them in bark and rotting wood.

House Wrens are warm summer month visitors. This little bird is mostly brown and the lighter colored streak over the eye is not nearly as prevalent as in other wrens so it might be a little harder to identify.

Next time we’ll discuss the wrens of Michigan.

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Wood Birdhouse After Squirrel Attack

Well, sometimes it happens. Here are 2 wood birdhouse’s that suffered catastrophic damage as a result of squirrel attacks.

Time for new wood birdhouse plans!

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