Perch Supply
Nest box specification

House Wren house dimensions

The House Wren nests in almost any cavity — boxes, gourds, even boots and flowerpots; males build several stick-filled dummy nests A box built to its measurements — and no bigger — is what makes it choose yours.

House Wren singing from a branch
Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons

The specifications

Entrance hole
1 to 1 1/8 in round
Floor (inside)
4 × 4 in
Mounting height
5–10 ft near shrubs
Bird size
4.3–5.1 in, 0.4 oz
Clutch
3–10 eggs
Incubation
9–16 days
Time in nest
15–17 days
Broods
2 per season

Build and mounting checklist

  • Drill the entrance to exactly 1 to 1 1/8 in round — oversized holes let in European Starlings and larger predators.
  • No outside perch: cavity nesters don't need one, and it helps House Sparrows and predators.
  • Unpainted interior, 3/4-inch untreated wood (cedar or pine) or poly-lumber for insulation.
  • Drainage holes in the floor corners and ventilation gaps under the roof.
  • A side or front panel that opens so you can monitor and clean the box.
  • Rough or grooved inner front wall so nestlings can climb out.
  • Pole mount with a stovepipe or cone baffle to stop snakes, raccoons and cats.

When to put up a House Wren box, by state

Boxes should be up and clean a month before local nesting starts. Dates shift with latitude:

PlaceUp byNestingClean out
ArizonaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
CaliforniaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
GeorgiaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
North CarolinaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
VirginiaMarchApril–AugustSeptember
ColoradoAprilMay–AugustSeptember
ConnecticutAprilMay–AugustSeptember
DelawareAprilMay–AugustSeptember
IdahoAprilMay–AugustSeptember
IllinoisAprilMay–AugustSeptember
IndianaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
IowaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
KansasAprilMay–AugustSeptember
MarylandAprilMay–AugustSeptember
MassachusettsAprilMay–AugustSeptember
MichiganAprilMay–AugustSeptember
MinnesotaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
MissouriAprilMay–AugustSeptember
NebraskaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
NevadaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
New JerseyAprilMay–AugustSeptember
New MexicoAprilMay–AugustSeptember
New YorkAprilMay–AugustSeptember
OhioAprilMay–AugustSeptember
OklahomaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
OntarioAprilMay–AugustSeptember
OregonAprilMay–AugustSeptember
PennsylvaniaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
Rhode IslandAprilMay–AugustSeptember
South DakotaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
UtahAprilMay–AugustSeptember
WashingtonAprilMay–AugustSeptember
West VirginiaAprilMay–AugustSeptember
AlbertaMayJune–AugustSeptember
British ColumbiaMayJune–AugustSeptember
MaineMayJune–AugustSeptember
ManitobaMayJune–AugustSeptember
MontanaMayJune–AugustSeptember
New BrunswickMayJune–AugustSeptember
New HampshireMayJune–AugustSeptember
North DakotaMayJune–AugustSeptember
Nova ScotiaMayJune–AugustSeptember
Prince Edward IslandMayJune–AugustSeptember
QuebecMayJune–AugustSeptember
SaskatchewanMayJune–AugustSeptember
VermontMayJune–AugustSeptember
WisconsinMayJune–AugustSeptember
WyomingMayJune–AugustSeptember

Full House Wren species guide →

Frequently asked

What size hole does a House Wren need?

1 to 1 1/8 in round. A hole cut to this size admits the House Wren (4.3–5.1 in) while keeping out larger competitors.

How big should a House Wren house be inside?

A floor of 4 × 4 in. The House Wren lays 3–10 eggs, so the floor has to hold the full clutch plus growing nestlings.

How high should I mount a House Wren box?

5–10 ft near shrubs. Mount on a pole with a predator baffle where possible rather than a tree or fence.

How long does a House Wren use the box?

Incubation takes 9–16 days and the young stay in the nest 15–17 days. Broods per year: 2 per season.

Sources

  1. House Wren — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. House Wren life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. House Wren — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
  4. NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab

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.