{"id":3967,"date":"2012-01-08T17:07:04","date_gmt":"2012-01-08T23:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=3967"},"modified":"2023-09-19T10:11:51","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T16:11:51","slug":"marsh-wrens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/01\/08\/marsh-wrens\/","title":{"rendered":"Marsh Wrens"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Marsh\u00a0Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris<\/em>) in Cattail fluff\u00a0–\u00a0 Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I photographed these male Marsh Wrens during breeding season when they were calling on their territories, while the male and female are alike in most aspects the exception is\u00a0that only the males sing. And sing they do! Individual western males often have more than 100 songs and they are especially vocal when they are trying to attract a mate.<\/p>\n

\"MarshMarsh Wren male perched on a Cattail –\u00a0 Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Marsh Wrens are year round residents in Utah except for the northern most portion of the state. They prefer fresh and saltwater marsh habitats where there are grasses, reeds, sedges and cattails present. It can be a challenge to photograph Marsh Wrens in the open but during breeding season the males often perch high on the vegetation while they are singing. They also move very quickly so it can be hard to keep track of them.<\/p>\n

\"Male\u00a0Male Marsh Wren singing –\u00a0Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/1500, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Though Marsh Wrens are small in size I find that they have big attitudes. When I lived on the east coast I had Carolina Wrens that nested underneath my kitchen window where my sink was located, when I “dared” to\u00a0wash my dishes the adult would sit on the windowsill and voice its displeasure. Loudly! That still makes me chuckle.<\/p>\n

Marsh Wrens are amusing to\u00a0observe, photograph and listen to. There is never a dull moment with them.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I photographed these male Marsh Wrens during breeding season when they were calling on their territories, while the male and female are alike in most aspects the exception is that only the males sing. And sing they do!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":116004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,1148,538,26],"tags":[4004,4073,4072,4366,777,1149,4094,2118,4179,5802,3822],"class_list":["post-3967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-marsh-wrens","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-breeding-season","tag-calling","tag-cattails","tag-cistothorus-palustris","tag-males","tag-marsh","tag-marsh-wren","tag-singing-2","tag-wren","tag-wrens"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-singing-mia-mcpherson-6070.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-11Z","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":67395,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/26\/its-nesting-season-for-marsh-wrens-in-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":3967,"position":0},"title":"It’s Nesting Season For Marsh Wrens In Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By using a vehicle as a mobile blind I was able to photograph the wrens as they sang, searched for nesting materials, defended their breeding territories and built their nests from a distance.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Marsh Wren male on his territory, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-male-nesting-season-mia-mcpherson-0428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-male-nesting-season-mia-mcpherson-0428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-male-nesting-season-mia-mcpherson-0428.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-male-nesting-season-mia-mcpherson-0428.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36389,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/02\/28\/marsh-wren-nesting-season-begins-soon\/","url_meta":{"origin":3967,"position":1},"title":"Marsh Wren Nesting Season Begins Soon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The males will start singing before too long and the Marsh Wren nesting season in Utah will begin.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Marsh Wren with rushes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-rushes-mia-mcpherson-1924.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-rushes-mia-mcpherson-1924.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-rushes-mia-mcpherson-1924.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-cattails-mia-mcpherson-3379.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-cattails-mia-mcpherson-3379.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-cattails-mia-mcpherson-3379.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-cattails-mia-mcpherson-3379.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":126936,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/03\/31\/march-marsh-wren\/","url_meta":{"origin":3967,"position":3},"title":"March Marsh Wren","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Three years ago today, I spotted a Marsh Wren in the marsh of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and stopped to take photos of the wren singing out in the open.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Marsh Wren singing on the last day of March, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/marsh-wren-last-day-of-march-mia-mcpherson-1546.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/marsh-wren-last-day-of-march-mia-mcpherson-1546.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/marsh-wren-last-day-of-march-mia-mcpherson-1546.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/marsh-wren-last-day-of-march-mia-mcpherson-1546.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56793,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/03\/23\/marsh-wren-nesting-season-has-begun-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":3967,"position":4},"title":"Marsh Wren Nesting Season Has Begun At Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Marsh Wren nesting season has begun here in northern Utah and in my opinion one of the best places to see, listen to and photograph them is from the auto tour route at Bear River MBR.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Marsh Wren with nesting material in his bill, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-9979.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-9979.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-9979.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-9979.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":80601,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/07\/marsh-wren-nesting-season-begins-in-march\/","url_meta":{"origin":3967,"position":5},"title":"Marsh Wren Nesting Season Begins In March","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"On my last visit to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I heard the unmistakable song of a Marsh Wren singing and throughout the morning I heard more of their songs.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Marsh Wren with nest material, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-with-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-9991.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-with-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-9991.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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