Wild Harris

(Photo: Cliff Reddick)

The Wren is one of Scotland’s smallest birds, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in its voice! Wrens are rarely far from the ground and they spend most of their time skulking about in dense vegetation at the sides of streams, in patches of bracken or among stone walls, looking for spiders and insects. They are very hardy small birds and are found high up hillsides all year round. Their loud song which is full of trills can be heard through much of the year and is the best way to locate them. Despite their size Wrens are hardy birds and are one of very few species that are found on Harris throughout the year.

Wrens construct very intricate spherical nests. Each spring males will often build several nests, hoping to impress and entice a female with one of them!

The St Kilda Wren is different to the wren on mainland Harris
The St Kilda Wren is a separate sub-species of the Wren. The Wrens that colonised St Kilda have been isolated from the mainland Harris and mainland Scotland populations for so long that they have adapted to the local conditions on St Kilda, becoming larger.

(Photo: Paul Tyler)