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  Profile

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  In flight

Songbirds

Marsh Wren

Cistothorus palustris

• rare
• 55 km/h
• Least Concern

Each male builds up to a dozen decoy nests, just to confuse rivals. Overengineered messaging.

Population

~11 million mature individuals globally (increasing trend, ~2.1%/year 1970-2017)

Habitat

Freshwater and brackish marshes, swamps, and bogs dense with cattails, bulrushes, and reeds; also inland alkaline/saline wetlands and coastal salt marshes

Fun fact

Male Marsh Wrens build many unused "dummy" nests within their territory — one male was recorded building 22 — likely to court females and confuse predators.

Range

North America — breeds across southern Canada and the northern/central United States; year-round resident on the Pacific coast and parts of the interior and eastern US; winters in the southern US and Mexico

Diet

Primarily insects and other arthropods — true bugs, caterpillars, beetles, ants, wasps, spiders, and snails

Size

0.12 m

Wingspan

0.15 m

Lifespan

6 years