Carolina Wren at Myakka River State Park

Embed from Getty Images
Carolina Wren

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; (Song of Solomon 2:12 KJV)

I am testing a new feature that WordPress has just made available for bloggers. We can now “embed” photos from Getty Images into articles. They have a wealth of photos, but unless embedded, can be expensive to use.

Since I chased the Carolina Wren at Myakka River SP all over the place with my camera and never got a photo, I turned on the video and recorded its sound. I have converted it to an MP3 and borrowed some of Getty’s great photos. Here is another of the neat birds that the Lord gave such a pretty song to.

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Embed from Getty Images
Carolina Wren

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Carolina Wrens belong to the Troglodytidae – Wrens Family. The Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is a common species of wren, resident in the eastern half of the USA, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico. A distinct population in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Belize and extreme north of Guatemala is treated either as a subspecies Thryothorus ludovicianus albinucha, or as a separate species, White-browed Wren (Thryothorus albinucha) . The Carolina Wren is the state bird of South Carolina; its specific name ludovicianus means “from Louisiana”.

Embed from Getty Images
Carolina Wren

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The upperparts are rufous brown, and the underparts a strong orange-buff, usually unmarked but faintly barred on the flanks in the southwest of the range. The head has a striking pure white supercilium (eyebrow) and a whitish throat. The race albinucha is duller brown above and has additional white streaking on the head.

It is easiest to confuse with the Bewick’s Wren, a fairly close relative, which differs in being smaller but with a longer tail, grayer-brown above and whiter below. The Carolina and White-browed Wrens differ from the House Wren in being larger, with a decidedly longer bill and hind toe.

House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) by Ian

House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) by Ian (Not Getty)

The Carolina Wren is noted for its loud song, popularly rendered as “teakettle-teakettle-teakettle”. This song is rather atypical among wrens and closely resembles that of the Kentucky Warbler which shares much of its range. A given bird will typically sing several different songs. Only the male birds sing their loud song. The songs vary regionally, with birds in northern areas singing more slowly than those in southern areas.

The Carolina Wren also has a series of calls, including a rapid series of descending notes in a similar timbre to its song, functioning as an alarm call, and a very harsh and loud scolding call made to threaten intruders. (Wikipedia)

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3:16 The Numbers of Hope

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4 thoughts on “Carolina Wren at Myakka River State Park

  1. Wrens are recognizable by their morphology and coloring, especially that characteristically tilted tail. Years ago my wife hung a thick wreath on our house’s front door. Not long afterward, a Bewick’s wren constructed a sturdy nest within the wreath, but that meant she was alarmed whenever we opened the front door (i.e., she would fly away and then return after the door was closed). Once she flew into the house and she frantically tried to escape when she realized that she was somewhere she didn’t want to be. It was quite difficult to scare her toward the open front door, but it all ended well. For years after that she maintained the nest, there, each year raising new offspring. That’s the main “wren memory” that I have — they are wonderful little creatures — surely God enjoyed making them and surely He enjoys sustaining them, as He does sparrows.
    > JJSJ

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    • Thanks, Dr. Jim for sharing your Wren tale with us. Wrens love to place their nest is some very interesting places.
      You’er right – “surely God enjoyed making them and surely He enjoys sustaining them, as He does sparrows.”

      Like

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