Winter Wren at the Visitor Center Feeders

Almost mistaken for a rodent, a tiny Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) was spotted skittering in and out of the frost-covered brush around the Visitor Center Feeders.

These itty bitty songsters may look unsuspecting, but they have a powerful voice. The rapid rising song of a winter wren is strikingly beautiful and can last up to 10 seconds long. They are rounder and smaller than the bolder Carolina wren, with a more indistinct eyebrow and shorter tail. Brown plumage has barring on the belly, wings, and tail. Winter wrens are partial migrants, overwintering across the eastern U.S.. In the summer they become more secretive, keeping to the deep evergreen forests in the north. 

Photo by Bill Moses, Valley Forge.