Beak of the Week – Sedge Wren

Sedge Wrens are small, well-camouflaged wrens. They are brown all over, with a paler throat and belly and dark streaking on the wings, back, and crown. They can be found in wet habitats with dense grasses and sedges, including coastal marshes and wet fields and meadows, where they forage on or near the ground for spiders and insects. They can be rather skulking, and are often heard before they are seen; listen for their sharp “chap!” call to alert you to their presence. They are similar to the closely related Marsh Wren, but can be identified based on habitat and plumage clues: Marsh Wrens are found in wetter habitats, such as cattail marshes, and they lack streaking on the crown and wings.

Sedge Wrens are highly nomadic. Early in the breeding season, individuals breed in the upper-midwestern US and south-central Canada. After this initial nesting period, individuals will spread out into the southern Midwest and into the Northeast. Because of their fairly secretive behavior and tendency to move widely throughout their lives, not much is known about their breeding biology. During the winter, Sedge Wrens can be found from the coastal Mid-Atlantic south through much of the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast, wintering as far south as northern Mexico. Because of their reliance on tall, wet fields, the draining of wetlands reduces the amount of habitat available to these charismatic little wrens. Around the Houston area, Sedge Wrens can be found during the winter months at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Brazos Bend State Park, and more!