Carolina Wren

For the last several mornings, in my yard, a Carolina Wren has been singing from high in a walnut tree to attract a mate. Wrens are small birds with BIG voices. Every spring, both House Wrens and Carolina Wrens nest in my yard. Despite its name, the Carolina Wren is a year-round resident to Pennsylvania as well as other mid-Atlantic, central, and southern states (including, North and South Carolina, of course). However, the House Wren actually winters in the lower southern states and then comes northward to breed.

During my week visit to Arkansas early this month, I was also treated to the exuberant singing of the Carolina Wren. However, I didn’t recognize his song, described by Tory Peterson as “a clear 3-syllable chant. Variable; tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea.” And that is exactly what I heard while in Arkansas. But the song of Carolina Wrens singing in my yard (these many years) sounds different. And before my trip south, I never recognized the distinction. (Photo courtesy of Charles H. Warren.)

Checking Peterson’s A Field to the Birds East of the Rockies for an explanation, I found it. Peterson actually provides two forms of the song, one being “tea-kettle” and the other sounding like so: chirpity, chirpity, chirpity, chirp. Now chirpity is the song of the Carolina Wrens I know. The key word in the description provided above is “Variable,” meaning that individual Carolina Wrens can sing their songs differently.


So here’s my question: Do Carolina Wrens in Pennsylvania sing chirpity while those in Arkansas sing tea-kettle? Or are there wrens just miles away from my home also singing tea-kettle?

If you know the answer, why not post it as a comment to me? Let’s get this mystery solved!

Until next time . . . happy birding!

Georgia Anne