Building a Nest

I noticed this house wren built a nest in our backyard bird house.

Checking out the Real Estate

House wrens are cavity nesters and are easily attracted to bird houses. I was surprised when a week later I saw what looked like the same species of bird carrying twigs into another birdhouse not 20 feet away. I asked a birder friend who explained to me that the male house wren starts a number of nests, shows them to his female mate, and then lets her select the one she prefers!Together they rebuild the final selection. The male may start as many as 12 different nesting sites. Wow, he really works hard to please his mate! In this case, the battered, homey looking birdhouse won out over the newer model.

The House that Won Out