Photographed by Bette Jackson



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Hi, I'm Dr. Jerry Jackson, out with the wild things. We often think of birds as nesting in spring, but the Carolina wren makes it a nearly year-around effort. In Florida, Carolina wren nests have been found from February to November, although most nesting takes place between March and July. Carolina wren nests are hidden in some recess, and nests sites range from tree cavities and tangles of vines to baskets of hanging plants, coffee cans, mailboxes and old shoes. Whatever the site, these wrens fill it up, building a domed cup-like nest of pine needles, bark, dried grasses, mosses or leaves. Nest building is a team effort, but often the male spends most of his time following his mate and singing as she collects nest material. This wren's three to five eggs are pinkish-white and finely spotted with rust; they’re cared for by the female. During the two weeks it takes for the eggs to hatch, the male delivers meals of juicy spiders and insects. Once the eggs hatch, both parents are busy bringing food until the young leave the nest about twelve days later. Shortly after the young leave the nest, the wrens start again, often producing three or more broods in a year.