Carolina Wren
Credit: Larry Bond

North American field guide

Carolina Wren

Thryothorus ludovicianus

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Identification

Field notes

13-15 cm (5-6") Fairly common. Southeastern North America. Nonmigratory. Extends range north into Canada with mild winters. Underbrush, rocky slopes covered in brush, suburban gardens, towns.

Wide white eyebrow stripe. Plain buffy breast and belly.

Song: whistled "TEA-kettle, TEA-kettle, TEA-kettle tea" any time of day or year.

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Approximate reconstruction of a historical map. Source date unknown.

Geography: Natural Earth
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 4 rules

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

Carolina Wren

4 rules
Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 1
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Dark and light bands across it · None · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?
Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · 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) · 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)
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States
result:683-carolina-wren:1:1 Source: 683 Carolina Wren, row 1
Rule 2 14 criteria confidence 5
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Dark and light bands across it · None · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?
Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · 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) · 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)
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southeastern United States
result:683-carolina-wren:2:1 Source: 683 Carolina 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 · Southwestern United States
result:683-carolina-wren:3:1 Source: 683 Carolina 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