Carolina Wren

This little Carolina Wren was playing peek-a-boo amongst some wooden boards. Occasionally, they'll build nests in piles of wood, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.^[1] That's far from the only place, though. To a Carolina Wren, mailboxes, flower pots, and even boots can all look move-in ready.^[2] They'll also build their homes in birdhouses! On its Nest Watch site, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a handy guide on how to make a next box for a Carolina Wren.

Male Carolina Wrens also have beautiful three-syllable chirping songs.^[3] Although the female Carolina Wrens don't make this sound, sometimes the males and females make songs together, with the female providing a trilling sound.^[3,4] You can listen to their calls if you scroll down to the Songs and Calls portion of their Audubon page.^[3]

The Details: 

Common Name: Carolina Wren
Scientific Name: Thryothorus ludovicianus

Order: Passeriformes

Family:  Troglodytidae

Seen: Moving in and out amongst some wooden boards
Month: June

Range: The Carolina Wren is found in the eastern half of the United States, eastward from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa.^[5] It is the state bird of South Carolina.^[6]

Learn More About Carolina Wrens:

1. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Carolina Wren: Identification. All About Birds. 
2. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Carolina Wren: Nest box plan and information. Nest Watch. 
3. Audubon. (n.d.). Carolina Wren. [Note: The webpage says the bird guide text was adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996]
4. American Bird Conservancy. (n.d.). Carolina Wren.
   
5. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Carolina Wren: Range map. All About Birds.
6. Munson, O. (2023, July 25). State birds across America: See every state bird across the United States. USA Today.