Can you find the little brown bird?

Bingo!

The Carolina Wren is beautifully camouflaged but actually kind of noisy, and that’s how I found it across the street from my house, yesterday, hopping around in the leaf litter.

In summer it can seem that every patch of woods in the eastern United States rings with the rolling song of the Carolina Wren. This shy bird can be hard to see, but it delivers an amazing number of decibels for its size.

I chatted with a neighbor a few blocks away last night, while out walking my dog. She said a fledgling wren hopped onto her shoulder while she was gardening yesterday, while one of its parents screamed at her from a few feet away.

The Carolina Wren creeps around vegetated areas and scoots up and down tree trunks in search of insects and fruit. It explores yards, garages, and woodpiles, sometimes nesting there. This wren often cocks its tail upward while foraging and holds it down when singing. Carolina Wrens defend their territories with constant singing; they aggressively scold and chase off intruders.