Carolina Wrens are One of Our Cutest Little Songbirds
Carolina wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) are some absolutely adorable little birds. They are an interesting combination of curious and active as well as cautious. There are several of them that live on and around my property. Sometimes they will come quite close to me when I’m outside and they have been known to build nests and raise young in porches, barns, and other manmade and often used structures. I had a pair that built their nest in a gardening cart right next to my back stairs. They are stairs that I and my dogs use multiple times every day. I have also seen them attack animals that approach their nests too closely. At times like these, they seem fearless.
At other times, these little birds seem very shy and very diligent about everything they hear or see. This isn’t unusual for wild animals since caution is how they stay away from predators. Again, I have seen them come out of the brush, take one look at me, and fly off. I’ve also seen them startle at the least little noise (including the clicking of my camera mirror) or movement and be gone in a heartbeat. What’s so interesting about Carolina wrens, though, is that they can move back and forth between these two polar opposite traits in seconds. This little bird was a perfect example of that. It was hopping around on my deck less than 10 feet from me and acted like I wasn’t even there even though I had moved and the camera had been clicking away. Then suddenly it heard a slight noise out in the woods several hundred feet away, and it was at full attention. After a few seconds of attention, it went right back to hopping around as though nothing had just happened.
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