skip to main content

what to do about WRENS???

15 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!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

bluebars
15 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
15 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.
Related Discussions
worried about carolina wren hatchings
Q
Comments (5)
Wrens are pretty bold in the bird world. They frequently build nests really close to human activity, so they seem to know what they're getting in for when the babies come. Maybe they instinctively know their little ones will be safer from predators when they live so close to humans. I had a Carolina Wren INSIST on building her nest in my newly potted hanging baskets this year and even though I took out the nesting material every single day before it really got built, they kept at it. They KNEW I was there, that I knew they were there, and that I kept tearing the nest up on a regular basis. They still wouldn't stop. That says a lot. I took down that basket and put up an empty, with a bedding of loose dead geranium roots, then put their nesting material on top of that, hoping they'd accept it. They did. They finished it out the way they wanted and now their hanging basket is the closest to the steps and to the front door. They seem perfectly happy with it. After watching them from my yard as I worked, after a couple of weeks, it seemed they had abandoned it. I never saw them again. One evening, just at dusk, I tilted the basket to peek inside and scared the mother off the nest. Again... not a peep for days. I had to practically camp out at my living room window to catch one of them. I finally am seeing them again, regularly, as the little ones are keeping them extremely busy. They're flying in with lunch and out with fecal sacs all day long, but you never see them if you're out there. I wouldn't worry about your activity near their nest, like cleaning away spider webs. You wouldn't believe all the rowdy things I've done on that front porch since they moved in. They probably will have one or two more clutches, though, before winter, so you may want to set up an alternative nesting site and see if they'll accept it, if you want to use your front door again.
...See More
Friggin wrens!
Q
Comments (3)
Count me in on the "I hate them"!!!! I don't know what to tell you. EXCEPT that when I caught the HOWR throwing material out of the dee nest and realized that they throw the chicks out, too, I put on a wren guard. They had been to the box but even through they clung to the side of the guard and looked under, they have not gone in and the dees are OK. I have been wondering if the fact that I made the wren guard longer in the front, not just to cover the hole but down to the bottom of the box, made any difference? I don't know why, but it worked. I am so sorry...I wish there was something else we could do to deter them. ::sigh:: Linda...
...See More
Wren guard - do you still put it up??
Q
Comments (4)
Donna I just had new wrens start singing and putting sticks in a box today. There are 2 boxes up the road in the neighbors yards with wrens and 1 across the street that already have nests and I thought I was in the clear and then more showed up today. What time did you put it on? Usually I put it on in the morning so they have all day to get used to it and figure it out. (which they do) If it is just a piece of wood or cardboard in the front only I would leave it. That is easier to figure out that with the sides on like I use. I myself would have put the guard on first b/c the hosp have never gotten around the guard yet. Sometimes I don't even use a spooker until fledging is near if I have a guard up. Gees that is a tough call. I don't think you can ever say you are safe from the wrens. Wish I had better advice. Cathy
...See More
Question about house wren
Q
Comments (9)
Please don't let House Wrens nest. You are allowed to remove their dummy stick nests until they move on. House wrens are very aggresive little birds that like to poke holes in other nesting birds eggs like Bluebirds, Chickadees, Tree Swallows, etc. So most people like myself that provide homes for the birds I just named do not let house wrens nest in their yard because of this reason. Thanks.
...See More
debbie321
Original Author
15 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
15 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
15 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
15 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
15 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
15 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

Related Stories

GARDENING FOR BIRDS What to Know About Birds Nesting in Your Yard

By Mitchell Parker

Learn how to observe, record data and help ornithologists with NestWatch’s citizen science project understand bird trends

DECORATING GUIDES Design Mystery: Why Do Pineapples Sprout Up in Home Design?

By Mary Jo Bowling

Early Americans were bananas about pineapples — and we’re still reaping the benefits of the sweet fruit’s symbolism today

COFFEE WITH AN ARCHITECT How Words of Legendary Architects Live On

By Jody Brown Architecture, pllc

Quotable quotes from architecture's version of the telephone game. Feel free to pass them along

BEFORE AND AFTERS Double-Duty Function and Singular Style for a California Nursery

By Becky Harris

Modern and bright, this thoughtfully designed baby's room is ready to welcome a newborn girl and overnight guests

ARCHITECTURE Houzz Tour: Diagonals Make a Point on a Modern Montana Home

Unexpected angles and unusual materials prove that a house can be a live-in sculpture

Houzz Interview: Life in the Fun Lane!

By Becky Harris

PETS See a Deluxe 'Catio' Built for Feline Fun

By Becky Harris

Sixteen lucky cats get the run of a protected outdoor patio with ramps, steps and even a koi pond

COFFEE WITH AN ARCHITECT An Architect's Calling Cards: Part 2

By Jody Brown Architecture, pllc

In the battle against social awkwardness, an intrepid architect calls upon ... what else? His design skills

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tours: Edith Wharton's The Mount

By Becky Harris

New Restoration Shows How the Famed Author Put Her Decorating Theories Into Practice

CITY GUIDES Houzz Travel Guide: Atlanta for Design Lovers

By Becky Harris

You'll find world-class museums, restaurants, hotels and shops in Georgia's woodsy, welcoming and charming capital

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

Bluebirds never leave North Texas boxes.

0