A house wren is 2 ounces of fluff with 20 pounds of attitude. These diminutive birds are feisty and territorial, willing to defend their plot of nest-able forest – and often their multiple nests and mates – with a ferocity and fearlessness that is both charming and surprising.
For a number of years, a single male house wren has taken over my mother’s backyard, and has claimed 3-4 nest boxes as his own, chasing away chickadees and titmice in favor of his own wren harem.
I never managed to capture a photo of that wren, but I found the individual above loudly proclaiming his kingship over a nest box at the state park. He may only have claim to that one, I’m not sure, but he moved between a series of perches as he sang, and kept a wary eye on me.