Bewick's Wren

Thryomanes bewickii

Explore this bird

Identification

13 cm (5") Fairly common; United States, southwestern British Columbia, southern Ontario. Thickets, brush piles, hedgerows, farming country, gardens.

Broad eyebrow stripe. Plain brown back. Long white-edged tail.

Song: loud bubbling 2-5 notes followed by a trill suggesting a Song Sparrow.

Details in the field

1 photo

Credit: Maggie Smith

Watch and learn

1 video

Bewick's Wren

Credit: DanStreiffert

Where it lives

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 6 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

6 rules

Rule 1 15 criteria confidence 1

What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: Light outer edge or corners · Dark and light bands across it · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States

result:682-bewicks-wren:1:1 Source: 682 Bewick's Wren, row 1

Rule 2 15 criteria confidence 5

What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: Light outer edge or corners · Dark and light bands across it · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:682-bewicks-wren:2:1 Source: 682 Bewick's Wren, row 2

Rule 3 5 criteria confidence 1

What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Pointing upward or cocked over its back
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Open body of freshwater · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States

result:682-bewicks-wren:3:1 Source: 682 Bewick's Wren, row 3

Rule 4 5 criteria confidence 5

What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Pointing upward or cocked over its back
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Open body of freshwater · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:682-bewicks-wren:4:1 Source: 682 Bewick's Wren, row 4

Rule 5 6 criteria confidence 1

Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?: No
What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Fanning
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:682-bewicks-wren:5:1 Source: 682 Bewick's Wren, row 5

Rule 6 6 criteria confidence 5

Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?: No
What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Fanning
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States

result:682-bewicks-wren:6:1 Source: 682 Bewick's Wren, row 6