The wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) is among the smallest birds that live here. It measures just over 10 cm in length and thus is only slightly larger than the two kinglets. The wren is a bird of almost spherical build with a thin short bill and a tail that it always proudly holds upright. In addition to its size, its protective plumage coloring also helps it hide. It wears a brownish-brown jacket adorned with darker transverse stripes; only its black eye and a pale stripe above it stand out.
The wren lives in the undergrowth of various types of forests, at the edges of cultivated landscapes, in marsh willow thickets, in coastal scrub, and is not uncommon in parks and gardens. When choosing a nesting area, it prefers moist and cooler areas. When it hops quickly over the forest floor, where it spends a large part of its time foraging for food, it looks like a mouse. It also likes to come into contact with insects and spiders in shrubs, in the tangle of lower branches.
The wren is a good singer with an exceptionally powerful and piercing voice for its size. Males are territorial and usually announce their territory with song all year, only a harsh winter drives them to lower-lying areas. When the time comes, the male weaves several globular nests from small plant material, hair and feathers with a side entrance, and the female chooses a nest and lines it with soft moss or down. The male hides the nest in a hollow or tree crevice and in cracks, in rock crevices or among roots. In one year, a single male can pair with different females, and the same nest can be used for several consecutive years.
In Slovenia the wren is a very common and widespread nesting bird. It nests between March and May here, but you can hear or see it in all seasons, as it generally does not migrate. An exception are wrens living on the northern edge of its range or those that nest high above the sea.
