Carolina Wren

Thryothorus ludovicianus

This bird has a dramatic white stripe above the eye and a long rectangular-shaped tail that sticks out from a rotund brown colored body. It is likely you might hear this wren first, as it has a very loud call, surprising from such a small bird. Only the male of the species sings. The signature sound is a series of up and down whistling notes that repeat, sounding something like tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle tea. Each bird has many variations on this theme.

To spot them, keep an eye out for movement near the ground and the rustling of leaves as they poke around for food in thickets. They primarily eat insects, but during the colder months also eat berries and seeds.