Female House Wrens (Male vs Female Identification)

House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) are ubiquitous throughout the Americas, stretching from parts of central Canada to the southernmost tip of Argentina. There are a remarkable 32 subspecies, many of which have subtle variations in appearance and behavior.

So, what do female House wrens look like, and how can you identify them from males?

Distinguishing male and female House wrens by visual appearance alone is almost impossible, as they share identical plumage. Instead, you have to look closely at behavior, especially in the breeding season when males and females take on markedly different roles.

One of the most prominent differences in behavior is the construction of “dummy” nests. At the start of spring, or even in late winter, males begin constructing basic nests which help them attract females. Then, during courtship, females select one of the nests and promptly finish it off.

There are a few other ways to tell apart male and female House wrens, however. Read on to find out.

Behavior is the best way to distinguish male and female House Wrens

How can you tell if a House wren is male or female?

To the naked eye, male and female House wrens are almost impossible to distinguish based on their physical appearance. However, some telltale behaviors enable identification, such as when the male constructs half-finished “dummy” nests to attract females at the start of the breeding season.

Moreover, males tend to be louder and more precocious, especially in the breeding season, and are often seen darting about from perch to perch and singing.

There are subtle differences in songs and calls too. Female House wrens have a higher-pitched tone to their call, which is also observed in juvenile males yet to mate, so it isn’t reliable.

Female vocalizations are generally used for communication and aren’t as melodic as males' more complex songs.

Male House Wrens tend to be louder, and can often be seen darting from perch to perch, singing

Watch and listen closely to calls

One of the best ways to tell the difference between male and female House wrens is to observe how frequently they sing. Male House wrens sing up to 9 to 11 times per minute when courting, while females sing less frequently, and it's usually in response to the males.

Once a female deems the male as a suitable partner, she responds with shorter, higher-pitched songs. These are generally more rudimental than the male’s more elaborate songs.

Additionally, male House wrens tend to have a more complex variety of songs than females, but regional variations make this extremely challenging to quantify.

A perched House Wren singing loudly

What does a female House wren look like?

A female House wren, just like the males, has quite a dull appearance. House wrens are small, grayish-brown birds with short, pointed beaks. They have brown heads, throats, upper parts, and a pale brown or buff-colored breast and belly.

They also have a long, thin tail that is often cocked up at the end and may have small, pale spots on their wings. House wrens are typically around 4.5 to 5.5 inches in length and weigh about 10 to 12 grams.

They can be distinguished from other small brown birds by their size and thin tails inclined upward - the telltale form of a wren.

House wrens are almost indistinguishable from males via visual inspection of physical features alone, though this probably does vary across the 32 subspecies.

Male and female House Wrens have the same colorings

Are female House wrens bigger than males?

While male and female House wrens appear to be the same size, precise observations indicate that males have slightly larger bills, bodies, and wing spans. This varies across subspecies - the differences are more pronounced and negligible for others.

It’s marginal, however, and you’ll seldom spot differences with the naked eye. However, as juveniles, males are more notably larger than females. These differences even out in adulthood.

What color are female House wrens?

Female House wrens share the same grayish-brown color as their male counterparts. They have dark barring on the tail and wings.

House Wren with a caterpillar in its beak

Behavior differences

Female House wren behavior differs in singing, calling, and feeding. They're noticeably relatively passive compared to males and tend to remain ‘behind the scenes’ compared to the more precocious males.

Singing and calls

Generally, singing is a common behavior among both male and female House wrens.

Unlike their partners, who sing to show dominance and prove their suitability as mates, female House wrens primarily sing in response to males and for the sake of communication. As a result, female songs are often unmelodic and raspy compared to the more tuneful male.

In the breeding season, males can be heard throughout the day, but vocal activity generally peaks in the morning and evening. It's not uncommon for House wrens to sing from high up on buildings, rooftops, telephone poles, or on other perches.

If you're lucky enough to catch a House wren singing alone in spring, the chances are that it's trying to draw attention from potential mates nearby.

Both male and female House Wrens sing

Breeding and nesting

Female House wrens call the shots with regard to nesting. For example, ahead of the breeding season, a male House wren typically works on a couple of incomplete nests. Then, females inspect these nests and select one as the male proceeds to display and sing to her. Once the female is satisfied with her selection, she finishes the nest alone.

To do this, female House wrens collect and deposit pine needles, animal hair, fur, grass, moss, and spider egg sacs.

Interestingly, mature male House wrens may occasionally have an extra partner in a different location. This is because mature males are more efficient in the breeding process and are more likely to sire chicks from multiple partners. Some House wrens are seasonally monogamous, however.

Females often search for another mate as soon as the young can fend for themselves and or have left the nest. This helps sustain population levels despite high hatchling and nestling mortality. In some cases, the male will force his presence into another’s territory to mate with another female.

Feeding

Interestingly, males tend to forage in different locations than females. Specifically, they forage in the higher parts of trees and bushes, and females at the bottom/on the ground.

House Wren on a perch

Can female House wrens raise young alone?

Raising the young is a shared responsibility among House wrens. The female House wren usually lays between 4 and 8 eggs and incubates alone as the male remains close by. It would be unlikely for a female to raise her brood on her own.

Also, female House wrens incubate the eggs on their own while their male partners look for food or seek additional mates to plant in other nests they've constructed in their territory.

Females may sometimes leave the nest to find food, but male House wrens typically carry the bulk responsibility of finding food and feeding the young. This does vary depending on how many nests the male is attending.

House Wren perched in a pile of brush

Do female House wrens call?

Female House wren calls are complex, yet most are either short and raspy or low and warbling.

Although territory marking calls are the preserve of male House wrens, females have been observed to make aggressive high-pitched calls, probably for territorial reasons too.

These calls are usually meant to ward off rival females who are looking for polygamous males.

Do female House wrens sing?

Female House wrens sing, but their tone is particularly high-pitched and unmelodic compared to their male counterparts. Males have a more melodic song with many variations.

They also sing less frequently than male House wrens and mainly sing in response to the male rather than independently.

Despite the role of male vocalizations in the breeding season, studies suggest that female House wrens place more weight on the quality than any other factor.