Carolina Wren
(Thryothorus ludovicianus)

Summary

Picture of bird
© Dan Busby
For additional photos and vocalizations, visit Dendroica. (Link opens in a new window.)

The Carolina Wren is a very uncommon species in Canada, with only a peripheral population occurring in southern Ontario and recently Quebec. However, this species is widely distributed and common throughout the eastern United States. In Canada, results from the Breeding Bird Survey suggest a significant increase in the population since 1970. The Carolina Wren is well-adapted to human activities; there are few known threats to its conservation.

Designations

Main designations for the species
DesignationStatusDateSubspecies, population
IUCN (Global)Least concern2018 
Wild Species (Canada)Apparently secure2015 

Population status

Geographic area or populationPopulation change relative to ~1970ReliabilityStatus in relation to goal
CanadaLarge IncreaseHighAt an Acceptable Level
 

Population estimate

Geographic area or populationPopulation estimate
Canada500 - 5,000 adults
 

Distribution maps

 

Migration strategy, occurrence

Resident

Responsibility for conservation

Geographic areaResponsibility based on % of global population
CanadaVery Low

General nesting period in Canada

Nesting period starts between mid-April and late April and ends in early August, depending on the region. Before or after this period, the probability of an active nest is lower.
 

Conservation and management

A warming climate appears to be responsible for the northward expansion of this species' range (Haggerty and Morton 2014). The Carolina Wren benefits from bird feeding activities and from land uses that create dense edge habitat and thickets (e.g., forest fragmentation and logging; Haggerty and Morton 2014). Severe winters can have devastating effects on local populations, but they often recover within a few years (Haggerty and Morton 2014).

 

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

  • conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
  • stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
  • management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
  • other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

BCRs, marine biogeographic units, and sub-regions in which the species is listed as a priority
RegionSub-region and priority type
NoneNone
 

References