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what to do about WRENS???

18 years ago

OK I have a problem.

I have cage feeder, and FINALLY got my Blues to eat out of it. then they started bringing the fledglings.

WELL NOW I have a WREN who is gobbling up the worms!!!

Any suggestions on what to do?

Now I havent seen the Blues in 2 days, would this be why? Or maybe they would not let a Wren bother them?

I dont want to feed my expensive mealies to WRENS lol

HELP!

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Comments (8)

bluebars
18 years ago
Are they House Wrens or Carolina Wrens?
If you want only the bluebirds to have the mealworms, watch for them and wait until they show up and then fill the feeder, so they learn. Don't leave it full all the time.
Even House Wrens won't bother bluebirds enough to keep them away from a feeder if they are accustomed to it (the nestbox is another story).
Carolina Wrens, on the other hand, should be welcome guests, and do not harm bluebirds.
Natural foods are plentiful now, but the bluebirds will probably come back. I don't know where you are located but in some areas they will stay the winter.
BlueBars
janie_may
18 years ago
I'm assuming you are talking about CAROLINA Wrens. Mine absolutely love the meal worms I put out and would eat every last one if I didn't time it carefully. I never take out meal worms unless I see "my" bluebirds or call them and know they'll show up immediately. If it's a battle between the two, the bluebirds and the Carolina wrens, the bluebirds always get their fill first. They get what they want before allowing the wrens to enter the meal worm feeder. I don't mind feeding meal worms to the Carolina wrens (and titmice, chickadees and nuthatches) but I don't put them out unless I know the bluebirds are close by and ready to get to the feeder first. I put out enough for them and the other species.
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Susan / catherinet, you do have valid points, nature is nature, especially when it comes to native birds, but you can also look at it as wrens are more than plentiful as well. You may not have problems with them now but the more there are, the more that will be in your yard and like this year it was cool even in May where I am and most of the cavity nesters in my area were just getting started on their firsts nest when the wrens arrived. I see and hear many wrens in my yard and neighborhood so they obviously don't need my help, they are more plentiful than the other species in my yard and less territorial. They will find natural cavities just fine. You know Eastern Bluebirds nearly became extinct after the introduction of house sparrows and European starlings in the last century. With man's help putting up nesting boxes and doing whatever it takes to protect them they have made a tremendous comeback. I like all cavity nesters and gladly share my boxes with any bird unless the species will do other birds harm. So in my yard, house sparrows, starlings, and wrens are out, and Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatches, and Woodpeckers are in.
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debbie321
Original Author
18 years ago
oH I am not sure, it is a tiny brown bird with a turned up tail.
Where can I find a pic of a Carolina Wren?
lindaskyview
18 years ago
The Carolina Wren has a white stripe above its eye -- sort of like a white eyebrow. The House Wren is all brown with no white stripe. Sialis.org has a photo, or you can Google it.

One of my favorite birds!

LindaSkyview
Western NC

Here is a link that might be useful: Carolina Wren photo
janie_may
18 years ago
Google "Carolina Wren" and then Google "House Wren"......

I could not survive w/o a good field guide but with the wonderful world of internet, you can find pictures on-line.

A "tiny" brown bird sounds more like a house wren but I've never heard that they go for meal worms. Maybe they do????? I know, from experience, that Carolina wrens love meal worms. Both birds are small (HOWR is smaller than CAWR) and both have turned up tails but the CAWR has a very noticeable white eye strip and is more of a rusty brown than a drab brown like the HOWR.
debbie321
Original Author
18 years ago
OK I looked up Carolina wrens are only in Eastern US, I am in Texas, so does this mean I have house wrens?
Because this little bird LOVES meal worms AND Suet treats.
little bugger pigs out!
erictammy
18 years ago
Debbie, I don't have wrens at all right now, but I do have house sparrows that gobble up my suet and mealworms so I do what Janie does. I whistle for my blues, and wait until I see them and then I put out about 20 mealworms or enough to feed themselves and their fledglings. I stand at the door and chase away any HOSP that comes to the feeder. If I didn't the HOSP would eat them all. They line up on my patio chairs for mealworms!!
Tammy
debbie321
Original Author
18 years ago
Well I think this Wren is a late sleeper, LOL
I fed mealies at 8:30 this morning and my Blues didnt show up until 9:30, but no WREN either.
I watched and waited and the Blues came back at 11:30 for more (they have been doing this since I came back from vacation.
The DH fed them and left so they had access for longer than when I was at home as he didnt have time to wait of course.
Apparently they got used to coming TWICE!
BUT the Wren came right after they left at 11:30 so I took the rest of the worms up.
Seems Mom and Dad are taking shifts bringing the kids to eat.
mom brought the one at 9:30 and Dad brought one (maybe the same one) at 11:30.
Is this normal?
LOL

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