Bewick's wren versus house wren

[OnionPatch]

I was thrilled when the house wrens moved into two of my bird houses several years ago. I was even more thrilled a month or so ago when a pair of Bewick's wrens starting making a nest in a gourd birdhouse I grew, carved out, and hung up on my garden shed. I love Bewick's wrens. I don't see them all that often but when I do, they always charm me with their cute little flippy tail and chattering.

It seemed the Bewick's wrens were taking an awful long time to make the nest and get things going. Then yesterday I looked out and saw a house wren chasing the Bewick's wren away from the gourd! Now this morning the house wren is hanging around the gourd singing his loud "victory" song. The Bewick's wren is no where to be seen. I had read that Bewick's wrens are practically non-existent in the east now because of house wrens displacing them. Now I am seeing this in action here in California. The weird thing is that I'm pretty sure this same house wren already has a nest in another box on my property. It almost seems like he's just chasing the poor Bewick's wren away out of spite!

As much as I love all birds, I wondered, is there any way to discourage a house wren from a particular box without discouraging the Bewick's wrens? And why are the house wrens displacing the Bewick's wrens now? Did they not exist together for many centuries before? Are we (humans) doing something that alters the habitat to encourage house wrens over Bewick's? I hope I'm not witnessing the demise of the Bewick's wren in the west, too.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Sadly, there would be no way to exclude one without excluding the other.

I suppose this is one of those examples that we see of evolution/survival of the fittest in action. House Wrens are more common because they are more aggressive. I wouldn't be surprised if the gourd house was just too close for comfort for the House Wren to tolerate.

The only suggestions that I can make are 1) just keep disrupting the House Wrens when they start to nest that they abandon the whole area, although it is doubtful that the Bewick's Wrens will come back this year, or 2) hope that the House Wrens don't come back next year. I have a house that House Wrens used for three years (the early brood for two years and both early and late broods for the last year). Then last year, the male showed up and sung his declaration of the territory, but there was no nesting done at this site and he disappeared. He has not been back at all this spring. Who knows why, since the broods all did well and survived to fledge. All I can figure is that his regular mate did not come back last year, and the new mate he found wasn't interested in that house. But that could also happen for you at some point.

Too bad that everyone just couldn't get along! Bewick's would have been nice to have nesting.

[OnionPatch]

4. I squirted the hose toward him once, then felt bad afterwards.

I did a little Googling and found this link about wren guards! I had no idea there was such a thing. But you have to monitor the nest box very closely to use them and I don't have time for that. I don't know that they would work in my case anyway, the desired species has to have an established nest with eggs in it before you put it up and I don't think the Bewick's wrens ever got that far. I'm pretty sure this wouldn't fit on a gourd, either, lol.

You're probably right that the gourd is a little too close for comfort to the house wren's box. I'll try moving the gourd for next year and see what happens. I'm pretty sure the house wrens will be back next year. I've been here for ten years and there have always been two or three pairs of them nesting within hearing distance. I do love their beautiful songs and would be sad if they disappeared.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. I do miss that constant chatter.

Noisiest bird for it's size! But once you get used to it, the silence is deafening.

[rocktivity]

2. Well, if you were to RETURN Bewick's wrens to Bewick

Last edited Tue Aug 10, 2021, 09:59 PM - Edit history (6)

with a courteous request that he or she be more careful about letting them get loose, maybe that would solve the problem...






rocktivity

[OnionPatch]

3. lol

[XemaSab]

6. If you played a tape of the house wren song

it might drive the house wren up the wall.

Dunno if it would bother the Bewick's wren too though.