Above brownish with tail and wings barred; below dull grayish, barred on the flanks with brown.
These are bold, sociable and confiding birds, seeming to prefer men’s society, building their nests in bird boxes that are erected for them, or in the most unexpected situations about buildings. They are one of the most beneficial birds that can be attracted to one’s yard, feeding wholly upon insects.
Song.—Loud, clear and bubbling over with enthusiasm.
Nest.—Of grass or weeds, stuffed into any crevice that takes their fancy, frequently in bird boxes and holes in orchard trees; eggs white, so minutely and thickly dotted with pinkish brown as to nearly conceal the ground color (.64 × .52).
Range.—Eastern N. A., breeding north to Maine and Manitoba; winters along the Gulf coast. 721b. Western House Wren (aztecus) is found from the Plains to the Pacific Coast ranges.
WINTER WREN
722. Nannus hiemalis. 4 inches
Above bright cinnamon, below paler; sides, wings and tail heavily barred with black.
This is the shortest and most stoutly built Wren that we have. They look very pert with their little stubby tail erect over their back. In most of the United States we only see them in the winter, and they are associated, in my mind, with brush heaps in woods and gardens. They will hide in a small pile of brush, running from side to side, so that it is almost impossible to make them leave it.