tiny, yes. quiet? absolutely not.
Wren says
Bird 27 of 30 · video, 43:51
Wren
Troglodytes troglodytes
Not quite Britain's smallest bird, but with an amazingly loud voice, a cocked tail and a feisty temper.
- Tiny, 9.9 g
- Not stated
- Tree hole
- Bank or recess
- In a hedge or shrub
- On the ground or lawn
About the wren
Marks and dots
Tap a numbered dot, or a name in the list.
A distinctive, upward-pointing tail.
Barred brown plumage.
An amazingly loud voice for such a tiny bird.
From egg to adult
-
Egg
Eggs5–6 eggs BTO
Hatch after16–18 days BTO
-
Chick in the nest
In the nest forabout 14 days video, BTO agrees
5–6 young per brood video only
-
Young bird
The fledglings take about two weeks to fly the nest.
Adult
Barred brown, tail cocked upright
Broods a year2 broods video, BTO agrees
BTO averages: 16 days incubating the eggs, then 16 days in the nest. Averages across nest records, so the figures above can differ a little.
At the table
- tiny mealworms, on the ground
Not a regular at garden tables, but an offering of tiny mealworms on the ground may well entice one in.
Through the year
Wren: first eggs laid 14 Apr to 21 Jun, average 2 May (BTO); first chicks leave the nest 14 May to 27 Jul (worked out from BTO).
What to know about the wren
Eight short notes in our own words. Each chip says what the note stands on, and links to its row in the table below.
What to look for
A distinctive, upward-pointing tail and barred brown plumage. Many people think the wren is Britain's smallest bird, but the goldcrest is, a quarter of an inch shorter.
Male and female
The video does not say whether male and female wrens look different.
not in the video
Song and call
An explosive burst of song from a garden shrub may announce a wren, with an amazingly loud voice for its size. When it is disturbed, even much larger creatures get scolded with sharp ticking notes.
Nest
Usually concealed in a recess in a tree trunk or a bank, though a variety of odd sites around buildings and gardens have been known. The wren also builds extra nests, but only one is lined with feathers for use.
Feeding
Not a regular at garden tables, but an offering of tiny mealworms on the ground may well entice one in.
Staying or leaving
Populations are actually healthier than people expect, but harsh winters badly deplete numbers.
Sources and checks
Where every fact about the wren came from
16 claims about the wren: 7 checked, 5 from the video only,0 differ, 4 from a source only. How the grades work
| Claim, in our words | Video time | Grade | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| The wren has a distinctive upward-pointing tail and barred brown plumage. | 44:09 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO describes a small, chestnut-brown bird with a short, cocked tail. |
| It is commonly believed the wren is Britain's smallest bird, but the goldcrest is. | 43:51 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's adult weights are 5.3 g for the goldcrest and 9.9 g for the wren. |
| The goldcrest is a quarter of an inch shorter. | 43:58 | video only | |
| An explosive burst of song from a garden shrub may herald the wren, which has an amazingly loud voice. | 44:01 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO says the song is remarkably loud for such a tiny bird. |
| When disturbed, even much larger creatures get scolded with sharp ticking notes. | 44:27 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO describes a scolding tik-tik-tik alarm call. |
| Not a regular at garden tables, but tiny mealworms offered on the ground may well entice a wren in. | 44:17 | video only | |
| The wren has a feisty character, particularly when its nest and young seem under threat. | 44:27 | video only | |
| Wren populations are healthier than people expect, but harsh winters badly deplete numbers. | 44:40 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO says it is the most numerous wild breeding bird in the UK, with declines after cold winters. |
| Nesting is usually concealed in a recess in a tree trunk or bank; a variety of bizarre sites around buildings and gardens have been known; the wren builds extra nests, but only one is lined with feathers for use. | 44:48 | video only | |
| There are two broods.video: 2 broods | 45:03 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 2 broods (BTO typical)inside BTO's typical range of 2 |
| Five to six young in each.video: 5–6 young per brood | 45:03 | video only | The video counts young; BTO counts eggs, so the two are not compared. |
| It takes about two weeks for the fledglings to fly the nest.video: about 14 days | 45:08 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 14.5–18 days (BTO typical)the narrator said 'about'; 10% either side (12.6–15.4) reaches BTO's typical 14.5–18 |
| Adult weight, from ringing records: 9.9 g, adult average. | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 9.9 g, adult average |
| Timing of the first clutch: first eggs laid around 2 May (14 Apr-21 Jun). | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: first eggs laid around 2 May (14 Apr-21 Jun) |
| Typical clutch: 5–6 eggs (BTO typical). | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 5–6 eggs (BTO typical) |
| Incubation takes 16–18 days (BTO typical). | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 16–18 days (BTO typical) |
Written in our own words after “British Birds in your Garden” by The Great British Channel, where the wren starts at 43:51.Numbers are checked against the BTO's page for the wren, read on 5 October 2026. We are not connected to the channel or to the BTO.
More birbs: 30 so far, and more to come
The coins down the right of the screen are all 30. Tap one to go to that bird.