Granddad’s Camera
Wren, as it appears in the game

No.204 · Birds · Common

Wren

Troglodytes troglodytes

A tiny, round, chestnut bird with a cocked tail and a song far too loud for its size. Britain's most numerous breeding bird.

When to look

All year, mostly at dawn, day and dusk.

Time of day

Best time
Dawn chorus from February; sings almost all year. Roosts communally in winter.
Where in the game
Millbrook (garden, churchyard and canal)
Size
Length about 9–10 cm
Weight
About 9.9 g (BTO adult average)
Lifespan
Typically about 2 years once breeding; oldest ringed bird 7 years 3 months (BTO)
Population
About 11 million territories in the UK, the highest of any bird (BTO); numbers crash after severe winters
Status
Amber in the UK (as listed by BTO); Least Concern globally

Diet

Small insects and spiders picked from crevices, log piles and leaf litter.

Habitat

Woodland, farmland, gardens and urban areas; present in 97% of UK squares all year.

Breeding

5–6 eggs from early May, usually two broods; incubation and fledging each about 16–18 days (BTO).

Field signs

  • Tiny brown bird with a short, upright, cocked tail and a pale eyebrow
  • Very loud, rattling, trilling song; alarm call is a scolding 'tik-tik-tik'
  • Mouse-like flitting through low cover and log piles

Did you know?

  • The wren is the UK's most numerous bird, with about 11 million territories (BTO).
  • Wren numbers swing sharply: harsh winters cause big falls, then populations recover.
  • Only about a third of adult wrens survive a year (BTO adult survival about 32%).

Moments worth waiting for

  • Belting it out March to June, dawn
    A wren throws back its head, tail cocked over its back, and fills the garden with song.

Photo tip

Sit by a log pile or bramble at first light. Wrens pop up onto a low perch to sing, so pre-focus and wait; a 400 mm lens helps.

Be a good naturalist

Do not disturb domed nests in ivy or hedge. Leave some log piles and dense cover through the year.

The law

Protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; it is an offence to damage an active nest.

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