EDITOR’S NOTE: Our newest columnist Neil Ball shares photos and profiles of local birds that he’s seen, studied and photographed in our area.

Meet the Bewick’s Wren

By Neil Ball

There are lots of birds that live in any garden, park, or greenspace. Each bring their own persona to the space. Whether it is the flash of a Goldfinch, the persistence of the Junco, or the boisterousness of the Steller’s Jay, like actors in a play, each has a role in the garden performance.

One of my favorites is the Bewick’s Wren, the most common of the Wrens in our area. This delightful character brings several qualities to the garden play.

On the surface, the Bewick’s Wren is a fairly non-descript little brown bird. The Bewick’s (pronounced like the car) is brown on the back, light on the belly, a striped tail and a bold white eye stripe. However, their relatively drab appearance hides a number of other star qualities. To begin, they have one of the best repertoire songs of any bird in the area. Their vigorous song livens up the yard with a variation of over 20 different tunes. As defenders of your garden, they scour your plants eating a host of nasty bugs. As hams, they will perch atop a bush, flit their tails feathers in the air and claim the accolades they deserve.

Yes, the Bewick’s Wren is one character that every garden needs.

Bewick's Wren

Questions, suggestions, requests? E-mail me at [email protected].
 

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