Wrens are charming little birds. But while they certainly look cute they are also serious hunters. They love to chase down and eat all kinds of insects and pests that might be plaguing your garden – and that’s why it’s a great idea to make your garden a place that wrens want to keep coming back to.
Wrens will ignore bird feeders and fat balls — these tiny fluffy birds prefer to eat live food and catch it themselves. That’s why planting the right things and providing the right shelter is a better bet to keep these birds returning to your garden.
According to Ideal Home, one of the best things you can do to attract wrens to your garden is to leave it alone. Wrens love cover and don’t like to be out in the open so if you have plants like ivy, bramble patches and native hedging they will love the cover it provides.
In a similar vein, if you leave leaf litter in the garden it will attract insects, which in turn will encourage wrens to come. By planting a mix of foliage and flowering plants, you’ll attract more insects and then more wrens. Compost heaps are a great idea too — if you turn your compost over, you will reveal all kinds of bugs and worms that are the perfect meal for wrens.
And while wrens are unlikely to use a bird feeder, they do love a nesting box.
If you position these close to the ground — perhaps a metre or two from it — wrens are likely to use it as a lovely, cosy home base. Make sure you position them away from direct sun and in a quiet spot of the garden to minimise disturbances.
A fresh water supply is also very important for wrens and other birds. Bird baths are a great option – just make sure to keep the water in it fresh and clean so they want to drink and bathe in it.
While wrens are not the biggest fan of bird feeders you can put out mealworms for them which they love. Fresh mealworms are best, but dried will do in a pinch. However, do note that the RSPB has issued new advice on feeding birds, urging people to cease putting out seeds for garden birds from May 1 to October to try to prevent disease transmission.
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