Wren - a bird with a sonorous voice. Appearance and behavior of the wren

The songbird wren has long been famous for its extraordinary voice. In our land only a nightingale can circumvent it in this art. In addition, it is one of the smallest birds that inhabit the vast expanses of the CIS countries. Probably, that's why people could not see for a long time how this unusual singer looks.

Areal

Scientists believe that the first wren developed in North America. Here their number is greatest, and many paleontological finds testify to this theory. But as the climate on the planet often changed, some families of these birds decided to migrate to more favorable areas. Due to this the range of this species has considerably expanded. Today, a wren bird (photos made by scientists, it certainly confirms) lives practically throughout the territory of Eurasia, North Africa and a small part of South America. Residents of Russia can also enjoy its beautiful singing, because in our region their population is extremely high.

Appearance

Wren - a bird of extremely small size. Even the largest individuals rarely grow more than 10 cm in length. And if we talk about kids, they can fit in a small thimble. On the whole territory of Russia only one species of birds has much smaller body sizes - it's a king. Another business card of the wren is the tail. It consists of several feathers sticking out almost vertically. As for coloring, males and females have monotonous, chestnut plumage. It is because of this nondescript color that many do not know what the wren looks like. The bird merges with the environment and it is almost impossible to notice.

Habitat

This is a very unusual sight. It is equally well adapted for living in the desert, and for living in tropical forests. As a shelter, the wren uses the undergrowth, fern thickets, small bushes and grass. And if there is no dense vegetation in the district, then feathered crumbs can settle in small burrows or on rock protrusions. In addition, the wren is a bird, accustomed to lead a sedentary lifestyle. Even in severe winters, she prefers to stay at home. Only prolonged droughts and famine can cause it to fly to other lands. What is true, there is an exception: two or three American subspecies of the wren still fly to the warm regions with the advent of winter.

Food

Wren - the bird is omnivorous. But, given its size, it can swallow far from every prey. And yet the basis of her diet is animal food. Thus, the wren is happy to eat small beetles, larvae, butterflies and moths. If there is a pond nearby, then this predator can catch a small fish in it. With the arrival of the first cold weather, the bird's diet changes, as all insects hide from the approaching frosts. During this period, the wren looks for seeds of cereals, autumn berries and even rootlets. And if the winter is issued especially harsh, then the birds can move closer to people and steal from them the remains of food.

Skillful builder

Nests are always built by the male. As a real man, he carefully approaches this process. Collecting branches and moss all around, he builds a spherical nest with a round hole for entry. At the bottom of the future house, the wren is paved with its own feathers and down, so it is always warm and cozy in it. Curiously, but only recently did scientists learn that a wreath was hiding a wondrous secret. The photos taken by the hidden camera showed that the same male always appears near two nests separated from each other. Continuing research, ornithologists have found that male individuals are not limited to building only one nest. So, having completed the erection of the house, they immediately undertake new works. And you need this in order to lure as many females as possible.

Marriage games and hatching eggs

With the advent of March, a bird wren, whose voice is always carried around the district, begins to sing even louder. This indicates that males are ready to call females to their nest. In this case, the more sonorous the voice of the chevalier sounds, the higher the chance that it will be the lady who will come to him. After a small marriage dance, they immediately fly to the nearest nest. There, the young mother eventually lays a small laying of 5-7 eggs. In this case only females hatch posterity, while gentlemen only occasionally bring food to them. Fortunately in two weeks the first chicks appear.

Unusual polygamy of wren

While the female is sitting on the eggs, the male can calmly look for a new pair. In particular, it is because of this that he builds several nests at once. Sometimes it even goes so far that one gentleman can calmly hug for 3-4 girls. What is true, this behavior is not so often and often. However, despite their polygamy, birds always help females feed their young. Let them do it not as often as their companions would like, yet the males do their duty. At the same time, scientists noticed a funny regularity: the first female wren gets much more attention and care than all his other "wives" combined.