Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)

Bird Sound Types and Qualities Part III

May 21, 2022 When it's just too hard to see the bird you hear, let your ears take over! Listen for the qualities of the sound as well as the pattern. A flute-like and upward-spiraling sound is characteristic of this Swainson's Thrush. Quite a contrast to the plaintively whistled notes of a Black-capped

Marsh Voices at Sunrise

August 14, 2021 In marshes across the country, birds awaken on a summer morning. Tall dense grasses and reeds often make marsh birds hard to see, but their voices carry easily across the lush, green landscape. You can hear birds like the Redhead, the Sora, the American Bittern, the Ruddy Duck, this Yellow

The Marsh Wren's Many Nests

May 19, 2021 Tiny Marsh Wrens live in wetlands, usually within cattails, reeds, or bulrushes. After choosing his territory, the male weaves up to 15 dome-shaped shells, lashing together cattails, grasses, or reeds. These are called "courting" nests. Then, sitting high atop a perch in the marsh, he

Bird Songs Reflect the Environment

May 3, 2019 Different sounds travel better in different environments. The explosive notes of a Marsh Wren carry well through thick vegetation. A Common Yellowthroat's choppy, repetitive song rattles right through a stand of cattails. An Olive-sided Flycatcher sings from atop a tall tree, its song

Dawn in the Marsh

June 20, 2018 It's dawn in a western marsh in mid-summer, and man! Those birds are singin'! The males of more than a dozen species are staking out their territories and attracting mates. One of the noisiest of all is the Red-winged Blackbird. He sings not to attract just one mate, but to gather a whole

The Marsh Wren

April 28, 2018 Some bird-lovers have tagged the Marsh Wren the "Heinz 57 variety" bird, because scientists have recorded 57 different variations of its song. And nightfall doesn't faze these birds. A male may sing straight through the night. Marsh Wrens usually forage out of view, hopping up only for

Marsh Wren - Where's Marty Now?

April 16, 2010 The Marsh Wren is BirdNote's signature bird, photographed by BirdNote advisor, Idie Ulsh. Marty, the BirdNote mascot, has been all over the world. He's seen here with writer Dennis Paulson in South Africa. Take Marty with you on your next trip! Download a copy of Marty, print him out, and

Bird Songs Reflect Habitat

August 31, 2008 The Canyon Wren's eloquent song soothes the soul. Naturalist Ralph Hoffman likened it to "the spray of a waterfall in sunshine." Its close cousin, the Marsh Wren, wound up with a harsh, ratcheting song - about as musical as a tiny machine-gun barrage. Birds' songs mirror their environments