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Krapіўnik, or Valavoca (earlier - Valavoca)

The whole territory of Belarus

Wren family - Troglodytidae.

In Belarus - T. t. troglodytes.

Common breeding migrant and transit migrant, winters in small numbers. In southwestern Belarus, it is distributed throughout the territory. In winter, the wren is found irregularly, mainly in Polissya. Already at the latitude of Minsk, winter sightings of birds are rare.

One of the smallest birds of our fauna, slightly larger than the Kinglet, with an almost vertically upturned short tail. The plumage is reddish-brown, entirely in transverse dark-brown streaks; throat and chest lighter, greyish. A light ocher-brown strip passes through the eye. The beak and legs are brown. Male weight 7.5-12 g, female 6-11.5 g. Body length (both sexes) 9.5-11.5 cm, wingspan 15-17 cm. Male wing length 4.5-5 cm, tail 2-3 cm, tarsus 1.5-2 cm, beak 1 cm. Wing length of females 4.5-5 cm, tail 2 cm, tarsus 1.5 cm, beak 1 cm.

A nimble, agile and rather noisy bird, betraying its presence with a sharp cry of concern “cherr-cherr”. The urge is transmitted often and sharply pronounced "tic-tic-tic." The song of the male is surprisingly loud for such a small bird, consisting of quickly repeated sonorous trills.

Birds arrive in the south-west of Belarus in the first decade of March - the first decade of April. In ordinary springs, males begin to sing immediately after arrival, the most intense singing is observed in the third decade of March - the first decade of April. Singing continues until the end of July - mid-August.

It lives more often in old, often in swampy closed coniferous (preferably spruce), mixed (coniferous-deciduous) and deciduous (alder and birch forests) forests. It usually chooses places with a variety of undergrowth, heavily littered with windbreak, with heaps of brushwood, with dense thickets of raspberries, nettles, and ferns. Often found along forest streams and rivers, in dark forest ravines. Occasionally settles in the remote corners of old parks. During the period of migrations and wanderings, it is found in gardens, parks and human settlements.

The timing of the start of reproduction in the wren varies from year to year within 5–20 days. Soon after the arrival of the birds, they choose a nesting site, the males begin to build several nests that do not have a lining. Wren - polygamous; the male occupies a fairly large area and “marks” it with his song, attracting females. On the site of one male, 1, 2, 3, and occasionally more females can nest; each of them occupies a separate nest. It is interesting that the male builds the base of the nest, but the female already equips the inner lining. On a fairly large area (3-7 ha), the male arranges up to 5-8 nests. The nests occupied by the females are completed completely, and the rest probably serve as an overnight stay.

Nest building usually occurs in the third decade of March - the second decade of April and later. The duration of the construction of one nest takes 3-5 days. Nests are located either on the ground or at a height of 0.5-2 m from it in secluded places (on small trees of undergrowth, more often spruces, juniper bushes, in the plexus of overgrowth, between the roots of eversion, in heaps of brushwood, indentations of rotten stumps, in crevices trunks, in the fork between the trunks, behind the lagging bark, in the steep banks of forest streams and ravines, in the dense hanging branches of spruce, in the voids under the turf, etc.).

The nest is rather large, thick-walled, spherical or ovoid with a lateral inlet. Its outer part consists of last year's tree leaves, ferns, green moss, thin spruce branches (they wrap around the edges of the notch). The nesting chamber, lined with feathers, lined with moss, feathers, hair, and plant down, is located inside this structure; the bird enters it through a narrow side opening - a notch. Nest height 16-20 cm, width 10-15.5 cm, tray diameter 6 cm, tray height 6 cm, notch diameter 2.5-3 cm.

Clutch 6-7, sometimes 5 or 8 eggs. The shell is milky white, with sparsely scattered small punctate spots: surface - rusty red, rusty brown and dark brown; a few deep - pale violet-gray (usually thickens towards a blunt pole). Egg weight 1.4 g, length 16-19 mm, diameter 12-14 mm.

In the second, and sometimes already in the first decade of May, clutches appear in the nests. There are usually two broods per year. The second masonry occurs in the second or third decade of June. Only the female incubates for 13-16, more often 14-15 days; she basically carries food to the chicks, although the male also takes some part in this. Young wrens begin to feed on their own at about a month old.

Wren has long been famous for its extraordinary voice. In our area, only the nightingale is able to get around her in this art. In addition, it is one of the smallest birds that live in the expanses of the CIS countries. Perhaps that is why for a long time people could not see what this unusual singer looks like.

area

Scientists believe that the first wrens appeared in North America. Here their numbers are greatest, and many paleontological finds testify in favor of this theory. But since the climate on the planet often changed, some families of these birds decided to migrate to more favorable lands. Due to this, the range of this species has expanded significantly. Today, the wren bird (photos taken by scientists certainly confirm this) lives in almost the entire territory of Eurasia, North Africa and a small part South America. Residents of Russia can also enjoy her beautiful singing, because in our area their population is extremely large.

Appearance

Wren is an extremely small bird. Even the largest individuals rarely grow more than 10 cm in length. And if we talk about babies, then they can even fit in a small thimble. Throughout Russia, only one species of bird has a much smaller body size - this is the kinglet. One more calling card wren is the tail. It consists of several feathers sticking out almost vertically. As for coloration, males and females have a monotonous, chestnut plumage. It is because of such a nondescript color that many do not know what a wren looks like. The bird merges with environment and it's almost impossible to notice.

Habitat

This is a very unusual sight. It is equally well adapted for life in the desert, and for living in tropical forests. The wren uses undergrowth, fern thickets, small bushes and grass as shelter. And if there is no dense vegetation in the area, then feathered crumbs can settle in small minks or on ledges of rocks. In addition, the wren is a bird accustomed to lead a sedentary lifestyle. Even in harsh winters, she prefers to stay at home. Only long droughts and famine can make her fly to other lands. True, there is an exception: two or three American wren subspecies still fly to warmer climes with the advent of winter.

Nutrition

Wren is an omnivorous bird. But, given its size, it will not be able to swallow every prey. Nevertheless, the basis of her diet is animal food. So, the wren will happily eat small beetles, larvae, butterflies and moths. If there is a reservoir nearby, then this predator can catch small fish in it. With the advent of the first cold weather, the diet of the bird changes, as all insects hide from the impending frost. During this period, the wren is looking for cereal seeds, autumn berries and even roots. And if the winter is especially severe, then the birds can move closer to people and steal food from them.

skillful builder

It is always the male who builds the nests. Like a real man, he carefully approaches this process. Gathering branches and moss from all over the area, he builds a spherical nest with a round hole for entry. The wren paves the bottom of the future house with its own feathers and down, so it is always warm and cozy in it. It is curious, but only recently, scientists have learned what a marvelous secret the wren was hiding. Photos taken with a hidden camera showed that the same male constantly appears near two nests distant from each other. Continuing research, ornithologists found that male individuals are not limited to building only one nest. So, having completed the construction of the house, they immediately take up new work. And this is necessary in order to lure as many females as possible.

Mating games and incubation of eggs

With the advent of March, the wren bird, whose voice always spreads around the district, begins to sing even louder. This indicates that males are ready to invite females to their nest. Moreover, the louder the gentleman's voice sounds, the higher the chance that a lady will fly to him. After a short mating dance, they immediately fly to the nearest nest. There, the young mother eventually lays a small clutch of 5-7 eggs. At the same time, only females incubate offspring, while gentlemen only occasionally bring them food. Fortunately, the first chicks appear in two weeks.

Unusual polygamy of wrens

While the female sits on the eggs, the male can easily look for a new mate. In particular, it is precisely because of this that he builds several nests for himself at once. Sometimes it even comes to the point that one gentleman can easily go after 3-4 girls. The truth is, this kind of behavior is not so common anymore. However, despite their polygamy, the birds always help the females to feed their young. Even though they do not do this as often as their companions would like, the males still fulfill their duty. At the same time, scientists noticed a funny pattern: the first female wren receives much more attention and care than all his other “wives” combined.

The wren is also known under the names of the nutlet, the stalk, and the thorntail. All these folk names indicate the features of the appearance of these songbirds. Wrens are very small, about 12 cm long, with a dense round body, a short neck, a large round head and a long tail sticking up. Their brownish chestnut plumage is soft and downy, slightly lighter on the belly than on the back. In addition, birds are distinguished by a thin and long beak bent downwards.

These birds - round fluffy balls - are very mobile and sing surprisingly loudly and loudly. Their size does not exceed the size of a house sparrow. Body length is on average 10 cm, weight is about 12 g, wingspan is up to 20 cm.

Nutrition Features

Basically, the wren prefers animal feed. The bird feeds on insects, beetles, grasshoppers, larvae, spiders. In autumn and winter, in order to feed himself, he adds plant seeds and berries, such as elderberry or blueberries, to his diet.

Since wrens always live near bodies of water, they can prey on small fish and tadpoles in shallow water.

Distribution of wren in nature

The homeland of all birds of the wren family is North America. Scientists believe that real wrens and their relatives moved to Eurasia through the Bering Strait.

That is why the common wren and similar species are most often found on the North American continent. Birds also live in Asia and Europe.

Wren lives in mixed and coniferous forests near rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. This little bird avoids open spaces, but can settle next to a person - in gardens and parks. Wrens are found both on the plains and in the mountains. For example, in Nepal they can be seen at altitudes up to 4800 m above sea level.

Is the wren a migratory bird?

Most birds from the genus Wren belong to sedentary species. Only a few of them can roam in the winter in search of more favorable conditions.

bird species

The body length of the bird is 9-10 cm, even less than that of a sparrow, the wingspan is up to 17 cm, the body weight is about 10 g. The color of the plumage on the back is brown, on the abdomen with a gray tint. Dark gray stripes are located throughout the body, which stand out especially on the wings and on the tail. The wings are short, the tail sticks up. Legs are pink. Females and males look the same. Young birds may have reddish feathers on their backs.

house wren

The species is distributed in North America. The body length of the bird is 11-13 cm, the wingspan is up to 17 cm, the body weight is 10-12 g. The plumage on the head is brown, on the belly it is reddish or gray, lighter than that of the common wren. Breast and neck are brown-gray. There are black stripes on the wings and tail. The tail is short, the beak is thin and long, curved down.

Lives in North America. The body length of the birds is about 12 cm. The birds are brown in color with small black and white dots. Their chest is light gray, the tummy is brown. The tail is decorated with dark stripes. A light gray stripe is visible above the eyes. The beak is thin, long.

Male and female: main differences

Wrens have little or even no sexual dimorphism. And even young individuals practically do not differ from adults.

For a wren, you will need a cage with a distance between the twigs of no more than 1 cm, since this small and agile bird will very easily escape from an ordinary cage. In order for the bird to be comfortable, two tiers of perches and a nest box are placed in the cage for the bird to spend the night.

What to feed the wren?

The diet of the wren is, first of all, animal food: flour worms, bloodworms, larvae, insects. Gradually add chopped chicken egg, cottage cheese, ant eggs to the feed. The bird will not refuse to eat vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs.

Bird lovers appreciate the singing of this baby, which is why wrens are often planted, but breeding them at home is not practiced.

• In the language of the Ojibwa Indian tribe, which lived in western Ontario, the name of the house wren translates as "one who makes too much noise for his size";
• Wrens often destroy the eggs of other birds that also nest in hollows. Why they behave so aggressively is unknown, since bird eggs are rarely eaten.
• Wrens rarely gather in large flocks, but during the cold period they can spend the night in groups of 10-30 individuals, lying with their heads to the center in several layers and tightly clinging to each other.

Singing

The iridescent trills of the wren are comparable in sweetness to the songs of canaries and nightingales. They consist of characteristic dry crackling sounds and sonorous overflows. Wren males sing all year round, dying down only during molting, at the end of summer. And their songs are always performed on elevated places, for example, on the tops of trees.

Wren, which is popularly also called hazel or podornik, is the only representative of the wren family.

The scientific name Troglodytes troglodytes comes from the Latin word for "cave-dwelling".

Perhaps this name was given to the bird for the way it nests. Usually the nest is made thick, in the form of a ball and looks very much like a cave.

Habitat

It is found in America, North Africa and throughout Eurasia. Settles in coniferous, mixed and very rarely deciduous forests. They prefer significant moisture and darkness, therefore they are most common in the depths of the forest, and not on the edges.

He likes to settle in abandoned areas, on the outskirts of rivers and lakes, overgrown wastelands, ravines. Sometimes it prefers cultivated areas: parks, gardens with tall grass, it can also settle among the rocks.

They are able to get along both in the lowlands and in the mountains, but subject to the presence of tall grass or thickets so that there is somewhere to hide. A prerequisite for the chosen territory or the arrangement of the nest must be a source of water nearby.

Appearance

It belongs to one of the smallest birds in Europe. The body is very small, no more than 10.5 cm, in the form of a ball with a small tail up to 3.5 cm sticking up. The wingspan is about 16 cm, and the weight rarely reaches the full 12 grams.

wren bird on the tree photo

The head is large, the neck is short. The feathers are soft, red-brown above, and gray-brown below with black transverse grooves throughout the body. They are most pronounced at the tips of the wings. The beak is sharp, long, the tip is slightly bent down.

wren in the grass photo

Above the dark eyes there is a light strip of eyebrows. The legs are pinkish, rather strong. Males and females are no different, just like young birds from adults. The only thing more remarkable than young birds is a more pronounced dark red hue on top of the body, and a lighter head.

Lifestyle. Nutrition

The bird loves to fly, is very mobile. It flies short distances, low to the ground. Thanks to its agility and small size, it easily overcomes tall grass and windbreaks.

wren with prey photo

A distinctive feature of the species can be called a very loud, bright voice, comparable only to a nightingale or canary. Usually, males mark their territory by singing, driving away other species of birds or competitors.

They sing throughout the year, interrupted only for the molting period (July-September). The singing of European wrens and American wrens varies considerably, and differences between different populations are also noticeable.

In case of danger, it prefers to hide on the ground in the thick of grass. They lead a solitary lifestyle, sometimes they gather in pairs in a separate territory protected from other birds. But at night they gather in small flocks of up to 10 individuals to spend the night on the ground, in the thick of grass.

At the time of sleep, they are grouped in a small circle, turning their heads to the center to keep more heat. They mainly prefer animal food: insects, bugs, crustaceans. With a lack of food, they begin to switch to berries, seaweed, seeds. Food is found in shallow water or land.

reproduction

From wintering, wrens return to their nesting sites in early April - late May, depending on the region. Males are the first to arrive more often, they immediately occupy a certain territory and begin to build many nests, which is completely uncharacteristic for most bird species.

wren. this is my territory photo

The territory must meet several basic criteria: the presence of a source of water, thick grass, thickets in which you can build a nest and hide, food. At least 6 nests are built. Females give preference to those males who managed to build more nests.

wren nest photo

The nest is built on the ground or not high above the ground in a fallen tree, stump, between the roots. The hollow or nest has a spherical shape with thick walls with a diameter of 120 mm. Any branches, leaves, straw, grass, moss are suitable as building materials - everything that a bird can carry in its beak, and everything that will help create a reliable nest.

Hollows or nests, as a rule, are not completed, they are half-finished, and only after the female chooses a place for laying eggs, it is completed. There are 1-2 clutches per year. The female lays about 6 small white eggs with reddish speckles. The incubation period lasts approximately 15 days and only the female takes part in this.

Hatched chicks are completely helpless, without plumage. Usually both parents look after them, but sometimes the role of the male is less prominent. After 12 days, after birth, the chicks already leave the nest.

• It is not known for certain why the wren has so many nests, because only one of the built 6 is used. Perhaps this is a kind of ritual to attract a female, or a way to deceive predators. In the rest, unused nests, males often spend the night.
• In principle, there are no problems with the abundance of the species, but some subspecies are listed in the Red Book.
• It belongs to the cultural heritage of many countries, many peoples composed legends about them, considered the bird sacred and even associated it with various gods. Often mentioned in folklore and various literary works. Wren is quite an unusual and interesting bird. Small but fast, she is able to hunt small fish, make many nests, and produce a significant brood of young in a year. At the same time, many birds die before the year.
• Predator birds, animals, as well as human traps, snares and traps cause their early death. Yet their small size and agility often save their lives.

Lifespan

IN wild nature wren lives for about 4 years.

• Class - Birds
• Squad - Passeriformes
• Family - Wrens
• Genus - True Wrens
• View - Wren

The name of the wren in Latin is troglodytidae. It sounds menacing, but the feathered one itself is 9-22 centimeters long and 7-15 grams in weight. Along with kinglets, the wren is one of the smallest birds.

The species is assigned to the genus Passerine, found in forests. The bird leaves them in autumn. The bird returns in mid-April.

Description and features of the wren

Wren - bird dense physique. The body of the animal looks round, because it is almost devoid of a neck. It seems that a large and also round head is attached, bypassing it. The tail also gives compactness to the wren. It does not "shine" in length. The typical position of the bird's tail is upturned, especially when the bird is sitting. This further hides the length of the tail.

Painted wren in brownish tones. Chestnut shades predominate. They are lighter on the belly. The back of the bird is darker by 3-4 tones.

Wren is a very small bird, even smaller than a sparrow

The color and appearance of the bird are similar to the appearance of birds of the family. The difference is the absence of white eyebrows. In Slavic they are clearly expressed.

Another distinguishing feature of the wren is its beak. It is thin and curved. This makes it easy to catch insects. Small midges and spiders are the basis of the bird's diet. Actually, this is why the wren is migratory. In order to stay for the winter, you need to switch to eating frozen berries and seeds. The wren does not compromise, leaving for the regions teeming with insects all year round.

Wren on the a photo looks miniature. But the real size of the bird is rarely captured. In fact, the feathered one is about two times smaller.

Listen to the singing of the wren

Lifestyle and habitat

The favorite habitat of the hero of the article is hidden in its name. The bird often hides in nettle thickets. However, instead of it, the feathered one can use ferns, raspberries, or simply heaps of brushwood in the windfall. It is his wren who seeks out in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. It is important that they have undergrowth, windbreaks, everything that litters the territory.

Uprooted roots, fallen trunks, heaps of brushwood and thickets of shrubs and herbs are necessary for the wren to hide from predators and nest. In difficult places, passerines hide clutches of eggs. The surrounding rubbish also serves building material for nests. They are dominated by moss, leaves, small twigs.

If there are thickets, wrens settle in the mountains, and in ravines, and near swamps, and in deserts. Those that settle in areas with a harsh climate are saved from the cold collectively. Birds huddle several individuals in a nest. Clinging to each other, the birds reduce heat loss.

By the way, part of the wren population leads a sedentary lifestyle. Migratory birds are nesting in the northern regions. However, the wren is also common outside of Russia. Some species of the family live in America, Asia, and European countries. In Russia, a representative of the passerine genus appears simultaneously with the first spring thawed patches.

bird species

Ornithologists count 60 representatives of the wren family. In Russia, mostly common. In length, it grows up to 10 centimeters, weighs about 7-10 grams. The brown plumage of the birds casts red. From the sides of the common wren, transverse streaks are visible, and above the eyes there is a semblance of light eyebrows.

The house wren predominates. It is larger than usual by 3-4 centimeters in length. Representatives of the species weigh about 13 grams. The small size does not prevent house birds from climbing into the nests of other birds and destroying their eggs. In particular, masonry and are eaten. Suffering from the brownie and another type of wren - long-tailed.

The long-tailed wren, as the name implies, is distinguished by the length of the tail. It is unlike the short "brushes" of feathers of relatives. The color of the plumage is also different. There is almost no redness in it. Cold shades of brown prevail.

There is also a Stephen bushwren. He lives only on Stevens Island. The bird is distinguished by plumage of a brown-olive tone and the inability to fly. The small wings of an even smaller bird are not capable of lifting it into the air.

However, does the Stephen's wren live? Representatives of the species have not been seen for a long time, and therefore they are considered extinct. Cats brought to the island are blamed for the death of the population. They caught all the birds that were not able to fly away from the offenders.

Stephen's birds are called differently New Zealand wrens because Stevens Island is off the coast of New Zealand. Once, scientists say, an extinct species lived on the main lands of the country. But, in the 19th century, the territory was chosen by the Maori.

Stephen's or New Zealand wren

The people brought with them, called Polynesian. Already guessed who exterminated the bush wrens on the continent? The rats found the flightless birds easy prey. That's cause of death of shrub wrens No. 1. Cats just “put the squeeze on” the situation.

There are also fictional types of wren. Suffice it to recall the computer game Wowhead. It has pond wren. This unique item bears little resemblance to a bird. The wren in the game is a vehicle that gives freedom in water and airless space.

Wren nutrition

In a fictional world, there are wrens, they don’t ask to drink. A real bird eats often, stuffing its stomach to capacity. This is typical for miniature animals. The crumbs that their stomach can accommodate are enough for a small amount of energy. Having used it up, the wren wants to eat again. Without frequent appointments feathered food dies.

The wrens diet includes snails, centipedes, spiders, insect larvae and pupae, caterpillars, eggs of other small birds and invertebrates.

Part of the wren population that remains in Russia accepts berries on the menu. But, basically, birds try to stay closer to non-freezing springs and rivers. In them, birds get water insects, larvae.

Reproduction and life span of the wren

small wren bird starts breeding in late April, early May. Nests are built by males. They, if the population is migratory, are the first to return to their homeland. Having prepared a "bridgehead", the wren males meet females and young.

Males not only build nests, but also carefully choose the territory for them. Nearby there should be a source of clean water and thickets of grass and shrubs. It is also important that the place you like is spacious enough.

Wrens have 5-7 nests nearby. Some of them are arranged on the ground, others are placed on the branches of bushes, and still others - in the voids of fallen trees. Moreover, each male makes several variants of nests. They are left unfinished. Only the one that the female ultimately chooses is brought to the “mind”.

Wren nests are made thick-walled, with a diameter of about 12 centimeters. Should fit 6 eggs - the average volume of laying wren. In a year, pairs of birds give birth twice, hatching chicks for two weeks.

Pictured is a wren in the nest

Wren eggs are white with small red dots. In nature, birds have time to raise 8 generations. Wrens rarely live longer than 4 years. If you tame a bird, it can please 10-12 years. These are the longevity records for wrens in captivity.