Hanging Your Wren House
Wrens and chickadees both prefer houses that are located in a sheltered area - under the shade and protection of tree branches is ideal. When possible, hang the house so that the entry hole faces away from incoming weather anywhere from 5-10 feet off the ground. Higher or lower placement can also work as long as there is good cover nearby. You can utilize the hanging cable that comes attached to your house to hang it as wrens will use a house that freely swings.
A hanging style house is preferred so that it can be placed outward on a branch to help prevent predators reaching the nest. A box house should be mounted on a pole with space in front of the opening, or can also be mounted under an eave to offer additional protection from the elements and predators.
For best success, we recommend placing your nest boxes by February in the south. In northern regions, place your nest boxes by mid to late March for best results. Don’t be discouraged if birds don’t begin nesting in them immediately. Sometimes it takes time for the birds to discover and start using a house.
House Inhabitants
All Nature's Way wren houses have a 1 1/8" opening to accommodate both house wrens and chickadees while keeping unwanted larger birds out.
A male wren will build a nest out of sticks and perch on the branches above the house to attract a female. These small birds have a very beautiful and distinct song and you will often hear their song before you are able to spot them flitting in the branches near the house.
A pair of chickadees will work together to build their nest with moss, pet hair, or other types of fur-like material. These small birds are very social and are easily and quickly drawn to bird feeders, oftentimes even when people are nearby.
Maintaining a Clean Bird House
Birdhouses and nesting boxes should be cleaned at least once each year. All Nature's Way birdhouses feature clean-out doors, making it easy to remove the old nest and any debris that have collected. At minimum, cleaning should be done prior to nesting season in the spring. Some recommend cleaning the nesting boxes after each brood has fledged. This type of maintenance will reduce bird parasite problems and help keep the nest box useful longer.
For more detailed cleaning tips visit our blog post: Spring Cleaning is for the Birds!
Nature's Way Bird Products says...
Hi Inga. Thanks for writing in. It sounds like you are doing the right things and yes, you can clean out after you are sure the babies have fledged. You can also read our bird house cleaning tips blog here: bit.ly/3MKeRvQ
Happy birding!
May 30, 2023
Inga says...
My bewicks wren babies fledged and left the next 6 days ago. They are already flying and off with mom and dad. Got lots of video. Should I clean out the nest now? I already did but I kept it intact just in case I needed to put it back. Cleaned the birdhouse with vinegar mix and dried it and put a bunch of new feathers I collected on it. First I put my pomeranian hair in there and they used it as a base to the nest. So this time I collected tons of downy feathers from down by the lake. Same ones they used.
May 30, 2023
Nature's Way Bird Products says...
Hi Joe, Thank you for reaching out! Our research has shown that wrens can be territorial so if there is one already in an established nest, chances are another one won’t enter into the same ‘territory’. Hope this helps and happy birding!
May 25, 2023
Joe says...
Hi,
I have two wren houses in the same tree. They’re nesting in one. No birds seems to check out the other house. Are they territorial? They’re within 4 feet of each other. Should I move one birdhouse to another tree? Thanks for your help.
May 25, 2023
Nature's Way Bird Products says...
Hi Mary, Thank you for reaching out to Nature’s Way and how fun to be able to observe the nest! As you have an active nest, we do not recommend you move or alter anything (in addition, depending on where you live it might be illegal to do so). Happy birding!
May 19, 2023
Mary says...
Hello we have Bewick Wren nesting in our wall, I see the babies have hatched and are out flying looking for insects. What do you suggest I do? Should I extract the nest, if so when and what do I do with it? Thanks!
May 19, 2023
Nature's Way Bird Products says...
Hi Debra,
Thanks for checking in. We do not recommend moving the nest as you should never remove or relocate a nest with eggs in it. All the best.
May 27, 2022
Debra Duguid says...
Hi Ruth, I have a pair of Carolina wrens nesting on my porch on a table. I think it got disturbed there are still some eggs in it can I move it higher up off the table and hang it? Will they come back to it?
May 27, 2022
Nature's Way Bird Products says...
Hi Sheri, Wrens prefer houses that are located in a sheltered area – under the shade and protection of tree branches is ideal. Also note that feeders often attract attention of critters like squirrels and raccoons which could disrupt nesting. Good luck!
April 22, 2022
Sheri says...
Will wrenn’s nest in a birdhouse next to a bird feeder? I have a pole with a feeder hanging on one side and I put a bird house hanging from the other side
April 22, 2022