These wrens make themselves at home

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Jason Barcus A house wren prepares a nest in Watertown on May 7.

House wrens ( Troglodytes aedon ) are small and plain but loud birds. In fact, the Ojibwa name for this bird, anaamisagadoweshiinh , means “making a big noise for its size.” Troglodyte is from Latin, meaning “cave-dweller” or “one who creeps into holes.” This term is appropriate because house wrens like to live in cavities such as old woodpecker holes. Unlike many birds, these wrens are adaptable and will nest near people, hence the common name house wren.

Some of the humanmade cavities house wrens have nested in include birdhouses, sheds, boots, flowerpots, tr