Bewick's Wren
Bewick's wren on a fence next to a jasmine shrub
It took me several months to identify this bird that has been hopping around the garden bushes and in the trees. And even harder to get a good photo of it because it moves very quickly!
The Bewick's wren is a hyperactive medium sized bird who flicks its tail from side to side and keeps it up at a high angle. I first noticed its distinctive long white eyebrows. It warbles and trills a lot when trying to attract mates and to defend territory.
These wrens prefer thickets in open country and woodlands, but they also live in residential gardens and city parks.
They are gardeners' friends, feeding on insects such as ants, wasps, grasshoppers and many kinds of spiders. They do occasionally eat berries and seeds.
The Bewick's wren used to be a common nesting bird east of the Great Plains but for unknown reasons has completely disappeared from most areas east of the Mississippi River.
For more about Bewick's wren and to listen to its calls check out this link
