WREN 



Troglodytes parvulus 



HE Wren is a common and widely distributed bird through- 

 out the British Islands, and is to be met with on most 

 of the Outer Hebrides and in the Orkneys and Shetlands ; 

 even in far-off St. Kilda the Wren is to be found, 

 though the bird found there is recognised as a distinct 

 sub-species by some writers on account of its paler colour, 

 and the somewhat larger size of its bill and feet. 



The Wren is one of the most familiar of our resident British birds, and 

 may often be seen hopping in and out of the windows of houses, farmyard 

 buildings, and stables, without the slightest sign of fear. It is a most restless 

 little bird, and seems to be always exploring somewhere, never still for a 

 moment, hopping and twisting in and out of the dense cover which it loves 

 to frequent, every now and then pouring forth its quaint little song. It is 

 rarely seen in the open, and always makes for the thickest part of the cover 

 if alarmed, sometimes even seeking safety by squeezing itself into some tiny 

 crevice in a dry stone dyke. 



The Wren sings all the year round except during the early autumn, when 

 its annual moult is in progress. Its song is remarkably strong and powerful 

 compared with the size of the bird, and consists of a few short sharp 

 notes followed by a melodious trill, the whole repeated over and over again 

 in slightly different keys, and ceasing abruptly, sometimes in the middle of 

 a phrase. Its call-notes are short, sharp, and grating, and rapidly repeated 

 should it be alarmed. 



The food of the Wren is largely composed of insects and their larvae, 

 ant's eggs, etc. ; fruit is also eaten in its season, and in the depths of 

 winter it joins the sparrows, chaffinches, and robins in searching for the 

 crumbs and scraps of food thrown out, small seeds of various grasses and 

 plants being also eaten occasionally in exceptionally hard weather. 

 VOL. in. Y 8 1 



