Bewick's Wrens in California

Bewick's Wrens live in California all year. Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward insects; suet.

Mediterranean along the coast and Central Valley, alpine in the Sierra Nevada, and desert in the southeast.

Across California, Bewick's wrens typically nest from February–June. Nest site: cup in cavities or nest boxes. Females lay 3–8 eggs, incubate for 14–16 days, and young leave the nest after 14 days.

Dry summers with little rain from May to October; water and summer-blooming natives matter more than extra seed.

• Have boxes cleaned and mounted before January — Bewick's wrens begin prospecting ahead of egg-laying.
• Use a 1 1/4 in entrance on a 4 × 4 in floor, mounted 5–10 ft.
• Fit a pole baffle or hole guard; ventilation gaps and drainage holes are essential.
• Clean out old nests after each brood and again after June.

Of the regional native plants we track for California, these 8 provide food or cover Bewick's wrens use:

Uses nest boxes and odd cavities in yards; has vanished from most of the East.

• Best foods: Suet, Mealworms.
• In California's winter: Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in.

Full diet breakdown for Bewick's wrens · Best feeder for Bewick's wrens