Species BirdsMarsh Wren

Marsh Wren

Cistothorus palustris

CommonBird
Illustration of Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)

The Marsh Wren is an aggressive, territorial bird of cattail and bulrush marshes, where males build multiple dummy nests to attract females and confuse predators. Males can learn up to 200 distinct song types, and western populations have significantly larger song repertoires than eastern populations — a rare documented geographic variation in song complexity. It frequently punctures the eggs of neighboring birds.

Habitat
Freshwater and brackish cattail marshes
Diet
Aquatic insects, spiders, and small invertebrates
How common
Common

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