Attract this bird

How to attract house wrens to your yard

House Wrens respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 54 states and provinces.

Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons

First: is it in your area, and when?

You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The House Wren is a year-round resident in 4 states and provinces, including Arizona, California, Georgia, North Carolina — there, a yard can host it in every season. It arrives only to breed in 44, such as Alberta, British Columbia, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho and 38 more, so set up before spring arrival. It is a winter visitor in 6, including Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, where feeders and winter fruit matter most.

See the House Wren in your state →

Plant what house wrens use

These native plants are tied to the House Wren in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.

Plant	Type	States	Why it helps
American elderberry Sambucus canadensis	Shrub	41	Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	40	Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	36	Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
White oak Quercus alba	Tree	34	Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae	Perennial	29	Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	27	Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	26	Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Spicebush Lindera benzoin	Shrub	26	Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Arrowwood viburnum Viburnum dentatum	Shrub	25	Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima	Perennial	25	Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Your list covers 3 plant layers (shrub, tree, perennial). Layering matters: mixing shrub, tree, perennial gives house wrens food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.

Offer the food it actually eats

Insectivore — almost entirely insects and spiders.

Warm months: Beetles, caterpillars and crickets; Spiders and flies
Cold months: Insects on wintering grounds in the southern U.S. and Mexico
At feeders: Mealworms (occasionally)

Avoid:

Seed — house wrens do not eat it

Full seasonal diet →

Give it a place to nest

Natural site: Almost any cavity — boxes, gourds, even boots and flowerpots; males build several stick-filled dummy nests.

The House Wren uses nest boxes with a 1 to 1 1/8 in round entrance, mounted 5–10 ft near shrubs. Exact box dimensions →

Clutch: 3–10 eggs
Incubation: 9–16 days
Nestling period: 15–17 days
Broods per year: 2 per season

Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around April in Arizona but not until June in Wyoming. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.

Water, safety and patience

A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.

Frequently asked

What attracts house wrens to a yard?

Food they actually eat (mealworms (occasionally)), native plants such as American elderberry, Black cherry, Serviceberry, clean water and suitable nesting cover: almost any cavity — boxes, gourds, even boots and flowerpots; males build several stick-filled dummy nests.

What plants attract house wrens?

Across the House Wren's range, the native plants most often tied to it are American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Black cherry (Prunus serotina), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), White oak (Quercus alba), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). Choose the ones native to your state.

When should I set up my yard for nesting house wrens?

Nesting starts around April in Arizona and as late as June in Wyoming. Have cover, water and nest boxes ready a month before.

What should I not feed house wrens?

Seed — house wrens do not eat it.

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.