House Wren

Status Rare vagrant, very rare in summer. Since the first edition of this book (1961), when only six records had occurred since 1932, over 150 House Wrens have been reported in the province. A few have been in spring (15 birds from 8 April to 3 June), the rest mostly in fall (between 5 September and 28 November) and all but five were in southwestern Nova Scotia, in Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby counties. The majority were on Seal and Cape Sable islands, although nine were seen on Brier Island on 5 October 1975. During the same year, one or two were seen each day on Seal Island from 26 to 29 September; the following year, 34 individuals were recorded on Seal Island between 10 September and 7 November. In addition to these migration season records, there have been four reports since 1950 of summer birds, three of them singing males engaged in nesting activities.

Remarks This bird's normal breeding range lies south and west of Nova Scotia, but it would not be surprising if one day someone discovers it nesting here. It normally nests in tree cavities but readily accepts a man-made box. Males are known to build several nests to attract one or more females.

I watched one wren's typical behaviour for some time on 28 June 1967 in Mrs. Houghton White's garden in Liverpool, Queens County, where it had first appeared a few days earlier. Presumably a male, it sang almost incessantly while I was there. It was seen lugging twigs into not only one but two (unoccupied) Tree Swallow nest boxes and flying from one to the other as though declaring its ownership of both. A male House Sparrow alighted on one of these boxes but didn't remain long because it was immediately attacked by the wren and was last seen beating a hasty retreat with its diminutive, irate assailant in hot pursuit. The wren was obviously waiting for a mate to show up but none came that season.