Bird guide · Thryothorus ludovicianus
Carolina Wren
What the Carolina wren eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 5.5 in (14 cm)
- Eats
- suet, peanuts
- Feeds
- suet cage
- Most common
- Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia
Food
What do Carolina wrens eat?
At feeders, Carolina wrens take suet, peanuts.
Usually forages in pairs in low tangles and sometimes comes to feeders for suet and peanuts.
Feeder that suits it
A suet cage on a tree trunk or pole; peanuts and sunflower hearts work too.
Range
Where do Carolina wrens live?
Southeastern US; the northern edge of its range expands in mild years and retreats after severe winters. By share of all bird sightings, Carolina wrens are most common in Georgia (3.7%).
States where Carolina wrens are most common
- Georgia3.7%
- North Carolina3.5%
- Virginia3.4%
- Tennessee3.3%
- South Carolina3.3%
- Maryland3.2%
- Alabama3.2%
- West Virginia3.0%
- Arkansas2.9%
- Kentucky2.8%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are Carolina wrens, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the Carolina wren migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in October.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are Carolina wrens, by month.
Identification
How to identify the Carolina wren
Adults: Chestnut above, butterscotch below, with a bold white eyebrow.
Size: 5.5 in (14 cm)
Nesting
Does the Carolina wren use nest boxes?
Yes. Nests in nest boxes and many odd sites.
On camera
Getting the Carolina wren on a feeder camera
Pick a camera feeder that takes a suet cage, or mount a separate camera next to a suet feeder on the trunk – woodpeckers cling to the bark while they feed.
Questions
Carolina Wren: questions
What do Carolina wrens eat?
At feeders, suet, peanuts.
Do Carolina wrens migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in October.
Where do Carolina wrens live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina. They are rare or absent in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho.