Recognizing Wrens Look for these features to be sure your bird is in the Wren Family: Tiny body (except the Cactus Wren, which is as big as a Red-winged Blackbird and lives in southwestern desert). Tail is short, and bird has a habit of cocking it up. Mousy brown plumage. Beautiful song--can often be described as "bubbly" or "rich." There are 9 species of wrens that live north of the Mexican border. Here are three of the most common ones. House Wren Copyright by Ann Cook Winter Wren Copyright by Jeff R. Wilson Carolina Wren Copyright by Jeff R. Wilson Click here to hear the song of the House Wren Click here to hear the song of the Winter Wren Click here to hear the song of the Carolina Wren Try This: Field Guide Research Look up these wrens in a field guide. See what other species belong to the wren family. Does the field guide give other hints to help you identify them? Look at the range maps in the field guide. Which species could be found in your province or state? Try This! Journaling Questions If you could classify birds any way you wanted, would you place wrens in the same family as or close to any other birds? Why or why not? Do you like the way birds are organized in your field guide? How would you change the book's organization if you were a field guide author? What would you keep the same?   Copyright 2003 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form