Northern House Wren
Northern House Wren has increased: up 27% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Northern House Wren
The Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) is a North American member of the Wrens (Troglodytidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4–8.5 in long (10–22 cm) — a small, energetic songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 2,853 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 47 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Troglodytidae · Forest birds
Notable Northern House Wren TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Northern House Wren. See the full index history below.
Northern House Wren Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Northern House Wren is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 4.9 (95% range 4.1–5.7). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±9.7%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Northern House Wren Is Detected
BBS routes recording Northern House Wren, sized by most recent count.
Northern House Wren Population Trend by State
Northern House Wren Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Northern House Wren Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 27% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.