Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern House Wren
Troglodytes aedon
Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) is a member of the Troglodytidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 10.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Troglodytidae Wrens
- Genus Troglodytes
- Species aedon
Where it lives
Southern Canada and western, central, eastern USA to central, southern Mexico
Quick facts
- Weight
- 10.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Troglodytidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look alike: both are plain, subdued warm grayish-brown overall with fine darker barring on the wings and tail and paler gray-brown underparts, so there is no reliable plumage difference between the sexes.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles resemble adults but show a reddish-brown rump, warmer/darker-buff underparts, and faint mottling on the throat and breast; they are hard to sex until the flight-feather pattern fully develops after fledging.
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern House Wren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Northern House Wren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) belongs to the Troglodytidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA s Canada and w, c, e USA to c, s Mexico.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 10.8 g, with a wing length of about 5.1 cm and a tail of around 4.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 25.7 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern House Wren?
The Northern House Wren is a very small bird that weighs around 10.8 g.
Where does the Northern House Wren live?
The Northern House Wren is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA s Canada and w, c, e USA to c, s Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Northern House Wren belong to?
The Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) belongs to the Troglodytidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Northern House Wren eat?
The Northern House Wren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Northern House Wren migrate?
The Northern House Wren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Northern House Wren endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Northern House Wren make?
1 real field recording of the Northern House Wren — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Northern House Wren's range?
The Northern House Wren has a mapped global range of about 25.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
How to Attract Northern House Wren to Your Yard
How to attract Northern House Wren to your yard — the habitat, water and plantings that bring them in (they aren't a seed-feeder bird), plus nesting help.