Bewick's wren versus house wren [View all]

[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.