House wren

House wren photographed in Manitoba

A small brown bird with a big voice, the house wren pours out a bubbling, rolling song from the top of a shrub or a fence post. It arrives in May and gets down to business at once, with the male stuffing every available cavity in his territory with sticks to build several nests for a mate to choose from.

House wrens will nest in nest boxes, old woodpecker holes, and even in flower pots and mailboxes. They are fierce defenders of their territory, sometimes destroying the eggs of other birds that nest nearby. They hunt insects and spiders in the low brush, with their tails cocked up. In fall, they head to the southern United States and Mexico.

To find out more about the house wren and the places it lives, visit All About Birds.

Here are some of my favourite frames of this bird.

Field notes in photographs

  • House wren perched on a rocky log among dead branches
  • House wren singing from a perch with bill open against green leaves
  • House wren perched on a post holding a twig in its bill
  • House wren perched on the roof of a wooden nest box
  • House wren peeking out from behind a weathered wooden post
  • House wren perched on a metal hook with its tail raised against a green background
  • House wren carrying a caterpillar at a nest box

House wren Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the house wren in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the house wren nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the house wren in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Plains and the Prairies (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

Follow new photos

New work is shared on Facebook and Bluesky first.

Follow on FacebookFollow on Bluesky