Winter Wren. This bird is very common in the Okanagan preferring moist areas such as coniferous forests where it is busy hopping from log to log in search of insects and spiders, often with exaggerated body movement. It measures 4” in length, with the upper part of the body a dark brown in colour, while the wings have black bars on brown, with similar colouration on the tail; there is a faint light brown line over the eye. The extremely short tail is held erect and the slightly decurved bill is adapted for probing for insects. The song is a long drawn out bubbling sound which astounds anyone who listens, for it seems that the bird does not take a breath for the entire length of it. Often the song which echoes through the forest is heard well before sighting the bird. They spend their winters in the lower elevations of the valley but breed in the mountains from the Aleutians to Central California. The nest can be found in a hole in a stump, exposed roots or even rocks. It is constructed of twigs and moss, and contains 5 – 7 eggs.  

House Wren This wren is about 5” long with a long slightly curved bill.  Also drab gray brown overall it appears more slender and longer than the winter wren. They attract attention to themselves by a rapid and rolling series of rattles and trill culminating in a descending series of bubbling liquid trills. It is a very energetic bird and a common breeding resident found in hedgerows, brushy patches, dry open woodland and in deciduous groves (aspens), in Ponderosa forests up to 1200metres. From experience we have found many House Wrens nesting in boxes set out for Blue Birds in such habitat. The wren will fill up other nearby boxes with nesting material, so that it is unusable to other bird species. They have been known to puncture the live eggs of the tenants in surrounding nests. House wrens nest in abandoned woodpecker holes in aspen snags and the hole is almost closed with nesting twigs to deter predators such as squirrels and chipmunks from entering. The male will again fill other nearby nest cavities with nesting material the purpose of which may also be to deter rivals, but as these birds are polygamous, it may be to attract other females. There are usually 2 broods and occasionally 3 per season. The birds winter in south and southwest U.S.

Marsh Wren.   A common breeding resident bird in the Okanagan. It measures 5” in length, has dark brown cap, Rufus-brown wings and tail and a prominent white eyebrow and white stripes on the shoulders. Another secretive bird frequenting, as the name suggest, marshes with tall grass, cattails and reeds. Numbers have declined due to loss of habitat but they do inhabit ponds at elevation up to 1000 metres.  The song is unmistakable; reedy, gurgling and ending in a “rattle”. It often sings at night. Their nest is woven with dead grasses and reeds and ball-shaped with an entrance hole on the side. It is lashed to the stems of growing reeds or grasses and lined with cattail down. Some of these birds do winter in the valley at lower elevations. 

Canyon Wren. The Okanagan is the northern limit of this year round resident. Measuring 5” in length, it is rusty in color with dark reddish brown body, contrasting with a white breast and throat and a very long bill. They are found among the rocks on cliffs, canyons and rockslides. Their numbers decline drastically in the winter of 1968-1969 when the temperature plummeted to -28.6C. They have now rebounded to their former numbers. A pair will produce 2 broods annually from a nest hidden in the rocks and made of moss and tied together with spider webs. There is often several nests close together. The unmistakable song is a descending cadence of clear notes, repeated for several minutes To hear this song echoing back and forth off canyon walls is a treat.

Rock Wren, This is a fairly common summer resident measuring about 6” in length. It is gray with a streaked breast, long bill, dark eye line and buffy patches under the tail. It shares talus slopes with the canyon wren from the plains to high mountains. They too produce 2 broods a year. The nest is located in a crevice in the rocks, often with a long paved walkway. The birds use small stone chips and grass for paving material. Their song is a series of buzzy, trilled ringing phrases, repeated over and over.

Pat Westheuser

Central Okanagan Naturalist Club