The Pacific Wren was once thought to be a winter wren but now is considered to be a separate wren that lives along the BC Coast.
The adult Pacific wren grows to a length of 10 centimetres, weighs 14 grams, and has a wingspan of 13 centimetres. The adult male and female are both light brown with off-white breast feathers. They have a short, pointed bill. The juvenile is a lighter colour than the adults.
The Pacific wren live in the woods and bushy areas as well as rocky areas and open marshes. It is a remarkable bird in that it can adapt to any environment that has plenty of thick plants and vegetation. They are, however, more common in the country than in urban areas.
The Pacific wren has a hard time living through long periods of freezing temperatures. Its small body loses heat very quickly. Also, the Pacific wren has a hard time finding insects to eat when the ground is covered with snow. It often gets together with other winter wrens in a community.
The community is formed when birds attract one another with a series of loud calls. The small community of birds often uses an abandoned building or nest as a roosting site.
The Pacific wrens live on a diet of insects, spiders, small beetles, crane flies, mosquitoes, ants, aphids, and spiders. It also eats the pupae of butterflies and moths. They also eat snails, slugs, and an occasional small fish or moth.
The breeding season for the Pacific wren is from April to July. They are ready to breed at the age of one year. During the breeding season, the male Pacific wren is territorial. He claims his territory by sitting high on a tree branch and singing loudly. He also keeps busy building nests within his territory. A male Pacific wren usually builds two or three nests during mating season in an attempt to attract a female to his territory. When a female is attracted and accepts his courting, she immediately begins lining her chosen nest with feathers, preparing it for the laying of her eggs.
In April, the female lays her eggs, which are white with brown spots. After about two weeks the clutch, or group, of eggs hatch. The male helps the female feed the young. The male often has more than one nest to tend to as he frequently has more than one mate. The young are able to fly after about 16 to 17 days.