This week’s “bird of the week” is the Carolina Wren.

These chipper little songsters are known to sing often and to sing with gusto, boasting a repertoire of over a hundred songs. One way to identify them is by their markings. They are a rich brown on top with a rusty-orange breast and a white eye stripe.  They also have tail feathers that stay cocked upward, giving the impression that they are perpetually curious.  If you look at them from a distance, the white spots on the edges of their wings and tail feathers make it look like they are studded with small pearls.

Another way to identify them is to look for the small bird that seems to hop as much as if flies.  I often see them hopping up the steps of my deck to get to the feeders.

Carolina Wrens love brush piles, so if you want to encourage them to hang out in your yard then be sure to leave a pile of sticks lying around.

Perky and friendly – I can’t help but smile when I see one of these birds in my backyard, or hear them belting out one of their songs.