What does the Winter Wren song sound like?

Troglodytes hiemalis

Song Common

Play the real Winter Wren song, the "tweedlee-tweedlee-tweedlee-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti", and learn what to listen for.

“tweedlee-tweedlee-tweedlee-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti”

What the Winter Wren song sounds like

A long, musical series of 20–25 hurried, fluting notes that tumble and rise, delivered with surprising volume from low perches.

“tweedlee-tweedlee-tweedlee-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti”

Birders often file this one under Bubbling cascade.

How to find the bird singing it

Favors mature, mossy conifer and mixed forests with dense understory and downed logs; in winter also found in brushy ravines, stream edges, and tangled thickets.

Tiny, round body: Only 8–10 cm long with a very short neck and a rotund silhouette.
Stubby, cocked tail: Tail often held at a sharp upward angle, giving a perky appearance.
Rich brown plumage with heavy barring: Warm chocolate upperparts and buffy underparts, both densely barred with blackish lines.

When you'll hear it

Breeding

Occupies cool, moist coniferous forests across Canada and the northern U.S.; sings from moss-covered logs and root tangles.

Migration

Moves through woodlots, hedgerows, and city parks; often silent and skulking.

Winter

Found in brushy ravines, floodplain forests, and dense tangles in the eastern U.S. and Gulf Coast.

Don’t confuse it with

Birds whose song gets mistaken for this one. Play them back to back.

House Wren

Paler, less heavily barred flanks

Carolina Wren

Much larger with bold white eyebrow

Winter Wren song FAQ

What does a Winter Wren song sound like?

A long, musical series of 20–25 hurried, fluting notes that tumble and rise, delivered with surprising volume from low perches. Birders write it as "tweedlee-tweedlee-tweedlee-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti".

How do I tell a Winter Wren from a Pacific Wren by ear?

Pacific Wren: Song even longer and more complex; Bill base and feet darker.

When is the best time to hear the Winter Wren song?

Breeding: late April–August; southward migration September–October; wintering November–March; northward migration March–April.

More Winter Wren sounds

Winter Wren: the full species pageEvery sound we have, field marks, habitat and similar species.How to Learn Bird Songs by Ear: A Gentle Two-Week MethodLearning bird songs by ear sounds intimidating until you realize you already know a few — that robin in your yard, the chickadee at the feeder. Here is the gentle on-ramp: seven birds to learn first, a memory trick that works even if you cannot carry a tune, and a ten-minute-a-day rhythm that turns spring noise into named neighbors.How to Learn Bird Calls Fast: A 7-Day Spring PlanYou have seven days. You want seven birds. This is the plan: one new song per day, a mnemonic per bird, ten minutes you steal from your coffee break. Sunday-to-Sunday, you walk outside and a name lands in your head before you have time to think about it.The Dawn Chorus: Which Birds Sing First Each Morning (And Why)Every morning, as the first light touches the sky, birds like the American Robin and Northern Cardinal begin their symphony. But why do they choose dawn for their most vigorous singing?