A wren house encourages perky, colorful little birds

LITTLE ROCK - Everyone enjoys a wren around the house and yard. Perky, energetic wrens are busy bug eaters too.

Wrens will make use of most anything for nests - pocket of a hanging gardening apron, empty flowerpot, you name it. A shed with a small opening can be inviting to a wren. By putting up a few nesting boxes, you can encourage the small, colorful birds to hang around and multiply at your place.

Several varieties of wrens live in Arkansas, and Carolina wrens appear to be the most common. These are the birds with a song bigger than they are - “tea kettle, tea kettle, tea kettle” or “cherry, cherry, cherry” is sung by the males, and sometimes two or even three wrens will sing and answer for minutes at a time.

House wrens and Bewick’s (pronounce it like the automobile) wrens are also residents of Arkansas. Some other varieties spend winters in the state.

Carolina wrens readily make use of bird boxes near houses. They’ll use them on porches and under the eaves of homes where other birds won’t take up residence. A nesting box you have for bluebirds will work for wrens as well. But to closer adapt the box for wrens, a smaller entrance hole is suggested.

Bluebird boxes commonly have holes an inch and a half in diameter. For wrens, reduce this to an inch and a quarter. This will keep out other species, especially nuisance house or English sparrows. Some wren plans call for holes just an inch and an eighth in diameter. This is fine for house wrens but a little tight for the slightly larger Carolina wrens.

The birds aren’t choosy at all in their residential requirements. Nail or screw together six pieces of wood - front with the entrance hole, back, two sides, top and bottom. You’ve got a wren house.

Almost any type of wood will work, but cedar, cypress and redwood will hold up the longest in the weather. Yellow pine, spruce and fir are common and obtainable at any lumberyard in Arkansas. But these won’t last more than a couple of years, sometimes less, outdoors. Cedar pickets used for fences can make adequate and long-lived material for birdhouses up to six inches wide.

Leftover cedar shakes from a roofing project are good for wren house building. They are lighter and thinner than common one-inch lumber, but they work well.

Another wren house possibility is an empty plastic coffee container, the 34-ounce size. Rinse it well, let dry and carefully bore the entrance hole with a 1 ¼-inch spade bit or hole saw. Put the hole close to the top of the can. Punch or bore three or four small holes in the bottom for drainage. The wren houses don’t need a perch in front.

The plastic top of the can fits fairly tightly, but two or three dabs of glue after you have erected it will secure it against a prowling raccoon.

The plastic coffee can may be nailed or screwed to a post or porch eave. You can also punch two holes in the handle part of the can, run a wire through and tie to a tree or post.

Bird experts recommend putting up several wren boxes around a house or yard. The little birds may try several spots before nesting, and they may use a different nest after one brood is raised for a second next in a season.

 For more birdhouse ideas, “Woodworking for Wildlife” is a handy and informative large-format book for the home shop worker and is available at Arkansas Game and Fish Commission offices. It costs $6.50 plus shipping. Phone 1-800-364-GAME to order.