Species: Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Family: Wrens (TROGLODYTIDAE)
Category: Birds
Location: NW
A. Birds
More extensive information on birds can be found in a separate blog post.
B. Wrens (TROGLODYTIDAE)
The Latin name Troglodytes means 'cave dweller', and these diminutive birds do indeed skulk in dense undergrowth feeding on invertebrates, but they also build domed cave-like nests with a very small opening in the side.
C. Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
For a little bird with a cocked tail, wrens have a loud call, but also a rich melodious song. They are territorial and polygamous, so have need of loud warnings.
In folklore it is called the King of Birds, because of a folktale in which it is challenged by an eagle to see who can fly the highest and be elected King of Birds. The eagle soars upwards and when it feels certain it has won the challenge it loudly proclaims its victory. But the wren was all the time perched upon the eagle's head, hiding in its feathers, and it simply flew a little higher and triumphed.
Farmers counted themselves lucky if a wren nested in a hayrick. A dead wren was carried as a protective charm, especially by fishermen. Watching wrens was part of ancient augury and divination, and generally it was considered unlucky to kill a wren. But as the wren was associated with druidic beliefs there arose a Christian custom once a year to kill a wren to consolidate opposition to these beliefs. Parties of big, brave men set off into the countryside to kill one of our smallest birds.
Images
Wren
For a little bird with a cocked tail, the Wren has a loud call, but also a rich melodious song. They are territorial and polygamous, so have need of loud warnings. It is a common resident breeder and Winter visitor, and with 11 million pairs in 2016 its conservation status is GREEN.
