The Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) is a true gem of the North American landscape, and the thriving habitat at the Ulistac Natural Area in Santa Clara, California, provides an excellent opportunity to observe and photograph this diminutive species.
Despite their modest size—typically measuring just 5 to 5.5 inches (13-14 cm) in length and weighing around 0.3 to 0.4 ounces (8.5-11.5 grams)—Bewick’s Wrens command attention with their surprisingly loud and complex songs. These vocalizations are essential for establishing territory and attracting mates. The song is often described as a mix of whistles, trills, and buzzes, and unlike some other species, their song structure can be highly variable across their range. The sound is often the first, and sometimes only, indication of their presence as they forage busily in the dense underbrush.
They are distinguished by their long, conspicuous white eyebrow stripe (supercilium) and their long, narrow tail, which they frequently cock up over their backs.
The Bewick’s Wren is primarily a species of western North America, where it is a common, year-round resident found along the Pacific Coast from southern British Columbia down through Baja California, and widely distributed throughout the Southwest (including states like Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas).
While they were once widespread throughout much of the continental United States and parts of Mexico, their populations east of the Mississippi River have experienced a significant and dramatic decline in recent decades, making them rare or extirpated in many eastern and midwestern states where they were formerly common.