Cistothorus palustris
A sure sign of spring is the arrival of the marsh wren. Walking along the boardwalk of the Nature Conservancy Great Shoreline Preserve in West Layton, you will hear the noisy gurgling, rattling trill of the marsh wren. As its name implies, the marsh is the wrens' prime habitat.
The wrens can be difficult to see, as they glean insects and spiders from the plants on the marsh floor and just below the water's surface. When they are hidden from view, you can follow their progress by watching the reeds shaking as the birds jump around to feed.
Be patient and you will be rewarded with a good view. The male marsh wren occasionally will climb to the top of the reeds to sing his breeding song. His song lets other males know his breeding territory boundaries, and is a welcoming call to female wrens.
Watching a marsh wren on top of a bulrush, you quickly note that it is a very small bird, only 4-6 inches in length, weighing less than half an ounce. It blends in well with the brown of the cattail and bulrush that has not yet greened up. The wren's head has a dark cap that is set off with a bold white line above the eye. It has black and white streaks on its back, buffy flanks and a white chest. Its mandible is very thin and has a slight downward curve. A prominent feature of the marsh wren is its tail, which is held upright.
Marsh wrens make a domed nest of grasses and sedges that is mounted on reed stalks over the water. The entrance is from the side. Here, four to six young will be born with wisps of down. They rely on both parents to feed them until they fledge.
Marsh wrens are declining in the eastern part of their range, but increasing in the western range. Their breeding range extends from British Columbia to Maine and includes the intermountain West and all coasts southward to Mexico. Their winter range includes the southern United States, Mexico, as well as small areas throughout the West.
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* BILL FENIMORE is owner of the Layton Wild Bird Center (www.wildbird.com/layton).
Join the Wild Bird Center's free bird walk Saturday at 8 a.m. at the Ogden Nature Center. The walk will be followed by a book signing with Fenimore on his Backyard Birds of Utah Guide.
