Male Marsh Wren

Male Marsh Wrens are master builders. They arrive in early May in southwestern Ontario and begin building shortly thereafter. It may take 1-2 days per nest and they often build 3 or more in a season. By the time females arrive later in the month their domed nests intricately woven from cattails and other emergent vegetation are complete. Females choose the one they like best and start laying their first clutch of eggs. Unused nests act as decoys to distract predators. This male was inmate the process of gathering building materials on the May morning I caught up with him. He stayed perched for only a few seconds in any one spot before moving onto the next task.