So, you set up a nesting box and had a pair of wrens move in. Now you’re curious how many babies will soon be joining the family. How many eggs does a house wren lay? What do these eggs look like, and how long will it take them to hatch? Keep reading! In this article, we’ll answer all of these questions and more!
What You'll Learn Today
How Many Eggs Does a House Wren Lay?
Different species of wrens lay different numbers of eggs, and even wrens within the same species may not always lay the exact same number.
House wrens, for example, lay between 5 and 8 eggs per brood, sometimes more, but will most often lay 6 or 7 eggs, according to Audubon. The female wren will lay one egg per day until they have all been laid.
Wrens typically have two broods per season, with the nesting season usually occurring between March and July depending on region.
The female wren does most, if not all, of the incubating, though once the babies hatch the male will help with feeding and caring for them.
What Do House Wren Eggs Look Like?
If you find a nest and you’re not sure what type of bird the nest belongs to, you may be able to identify it by the eggs in the nest. Be careful, though, about getting too close, especially if you hear birds chirping loudly nearby–they may be trying to warn you away from their babies.
So, what does a wren egg look like?
House wren eggs are very small, only about the size of a dime, and oblong. They are typically white, with reddish brown dots or splotches, but may sometimes be more brown overall.
Wren eggs are similar in appearance to other bird eggs, but almost always smaller. They are very similar to sparrow eggs, but are even smaller than these and may be more reddish brown in color.
What Color are Wren Eggs?
Wren eggs can be various colors depending on the type of wren that laid them. The house wren, as noted above, may be white with reddish brown splotches or more brownish with darker brown splotches.
Most wren eggs come in various shades of brown with darker dots or splotches. Some are white or beige with splotches, some are a light sky blue with splotches, while still others are pure white with only a scattered number of brown dots.
How Long Does it Take for House Wren Eggs to Hatch?
If you are watching a family of wrens that moved into one of your nesting boxes, you can expect to start hearing babies chirping in about 12 to 15 days.
As mentioned above, the female wren incubates the eggs. She will only leave the nest to find food as necessary, soon returning to her post of sitting on the eggs to keep them warm and help them develop.
Once the eggs hatch, the baby wrens remain in the nest for roughly the same time as their incubation period–about 12 to 18 days. Both parents feed them a diet of bugs and insects, and the babies grow quickly, soon outgrowing the tiny nest and finding it necessary to leave home.
Check out this video of wren eggs hatching.
What Sounds Do Wren Eggs Make?
Did you know that eggs make sounds?
Most bird eggs can be “heard” beginning to make bird noises shortly before the babies hatch. At this time, the baby bird is fully formed and has begun to chirp.
This chirping noise from the egg may not be very audible to humans, so you probably won’t be able to hear it unless you are very close to the nest. The chirping is, however, heard by the parent birds, who know that the baby is about to hatch when they begin to hear it.
Wren eggs are no different from other types of birds in this regard. The babies chirp quietly just before hatching as well as when they begin to hatch.
Conclusion
House wrens usually lay anywhere from 5 to 8 eggs per brood, and sometimes more. Mating pairs typically raise two broods per season.
Wren eggs are typically white or brown with dark speckles. They are very small, but the babies that hatch from them grow quickly, outgrowing the nest in less than three weeks.
Wren eggs look exactly the same as chicken eggs, don’t they?
What happens if the nest is disturbed, perhaps by a varmit?
I have a house wren nest with 4 eggs in my greenhouse. It has been 20 days and the mom is still sitting in them. I live in the south so the temperature does get hot in there. Is there any chance these eggs are still viable?