{"id":10343,"date":"2022-01-17T17:32:10","date_gmt":"2022-01-17T17:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=10343"},"modified":"2022-01-22T17:43:26","modified_gmt":"2022-01-22T17:43:26","slug":"do-wrens-abandon-their-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/do-wrens-abandon-their-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Wrens Abandon Their Babies?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ve probably heard that birds will abandon their nests if you get too close and they can smell your scent in the area. But is this true of all birds? What about wrens<\/a>? Do wrens ever abandon their babies, and if so, why? Keep reading! In this article, we\u2019ll answer these questions and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Would a Wren Abandon Its Nest?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Wrens occasionally reuse the same nest during consecutive seasons, but most of the time they abandon their old nest each season in favor of building a new one. This is completely natural wren behavior and is tied to the mating ritual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes wrens may simply build a new nest in the previous spot, while other times they may find a new spot altogether. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about during nesting season? Is there anything that would make them abandon their nest while it is in use, when there are eggs or babies in the nest?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One common misconception about birds in general is that they will permanently abandon their nest if they smell the scent of humans nearby. This is not true. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wrens and most other birds will not leave their nest because of the scent, but they will leave if they see you getting too close and they feel threatened by your presence. They will also leave if they are similarly threatened by other animals.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most birds are difficult to scare away, and wrens are no exception. Before abandoning the nest, they will try a number of other methods to get rid of intruders, such as chirping loudly and hopping around to warn you away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, wrens may even fly at you and try to peck you before leaving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, the most common reason a wren would abandon its nest during nesting season is that it feels directly and immediately threatened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, wrens may also abandon a nest or nesting site if all the eggs or babies in a brood die; rather than laying their next batch of eggs<\/a> right away, they will first search for a safer location to raise young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do You Do if You Find a Baby Wren?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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If you find a baby wren out of the nest, you may think you should leave it alone to avoid getting your scent on it. You\u2019ve probably heard that bird parents will abandon the baby if the parent can smell your scent, but as noted above, this is nothing more than an old wives\u2019 tale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find a baby bird, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<\/a> states that \u201cThe best thing that could be done is to place the baby back in the nest, if there is one.\u201d Before touching the baby though, it\u2019s important to distinguish between nestlings and fledglings.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nestlings are baby birds that are too small to be away from the nest. They require care and feeding from their parents and will quickly die if they fall out of the nest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fledglings are young birds that are nearing maturity and have grown too large for the nest. They frequently stay near the nest, communicating with their parents, but they are able to be more independent, exploring their world from the ground or surrounding plant life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you find  a baby bird on the ground and it has few feathers, can\u2019t move around much, or still has its eyes closed, then see if you can locate the nest it fell from close by. If you find the nest, then carefully place the baby back into the nest. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, if you find a young bird on the ground that appears nearly full-grown and is hopping around flapping its wings, then it\u2019s likely that the bird has fledged and it should not be returned to the nest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do Baby Wrens Eat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fledgling and adult wrens eat a wide variety of foods, including insects, seeds, fruits, other plant materials, and suet. The diet of a baby wren is a bit more restricted, however, as they are fed mostly insects while they are still in the nest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the baby wrens are very young, they may eat regurgitated food from their parents, but very soon, the parents will begin feeding insects whole. They choose smaller insects at first, such as mealworms, before moving onto larger insects as the babies grow.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wrens commonly feed their babies mealworms, caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets. They will sometimes also feed tiny bits of snail shells or gravel to help the babies with digesting their food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out the following video of an adult wren feeding its babies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=z4nlrjBw25o<\/a>