One day while hiking the Ridge line Trail in Eugene Oregon I came across the most stunning bird call I've ever heard in Oregon. I recorded it and tried to make some sense of the type of call it might be. Later I actually found where this giant sound was coming from: a small brown bird on a log about 30 feat away from me! I spent hours at home that night deciphering the call trying to find something online that would help me. And finally late into the night I heard the call played back to me and I knew it was this bird I wanted to do for my project. I chose the Pacific Wren because it is such a magnificently unknown bird. It's very quick small and brown, lives often deeper into the forest away from people, so you it's often hard to actually see them. So that is why they are very much overlooked in the forest. I am hoping to be able to get a closer look at them today when I go out for my observations. I have come more prepared than the last time as I have binoculars. I want to see how they interact together, and perhaps view one of their nests if possible. I want to compare the types I have found from online footage to the ones here in Eugene to see if there are any differences.
I went out several times to find my animal and was only successful in long distance viewing/hearing. However, I learned quite a lot about the specimen this way. I was first aware of the Pacific Wren while hiking on the Blanton Ridge trailhead in Eugene, Oregon. I recorded the song of the bird when at the time I was unaware of it's species. After much searching I found the bird counterpart to the song online. (see recordings below). Additionally, I got one picture of the bird but it is very hard to make out what it is. (see pictures below). And the field notes I gathered describe a very small dark and brown bird. Further observation of the birds leads to very little on my part other than I could not locate this bird in the same area during peak sun hours around 3:00 pm on May 28th (in later springtime) probably due to the heat itself. There was not a lot of other bird activity during that time either which leads me to wonder if there are certain times most birds (including the Pacific Wren) are not active perhaps during peak sun/heat and more active during the twilight when I have seen/heard them the most--around 5-7 pm (gathered in April)? Times I believe to have seen the wren I found them close to the ground vegetation where there is plenty of cover to hide in such as ferns, numerous plants, fallen trees, short trees, burrows, rocks, and all kinds of matter. What cannot be seen with the eye is often made up for what can be heard with the ears when regarding the Pacific Wren because their long and loud songs carry throughout the forest. Often I observed the take turns singing back to one another for a purpose that I do not know. Are they simply communicating their locations to each other, or informing, or actually conversing? I would love to know the theories behind the purpose of their songs and what they might be used for. As far as I can tell, it seems that there are plenty of bugs to feed on here due to the fruitful habitat of a temperate rain forest in western Oregon. Pacific Wrens, being mainly insectivores, would benefit greatly from this ecosystem. From forage to underbrush it's no wonder how bountiful the Pacific wren is in this the PNW. Finally I was sad to not find any nests, but given this wren's nature I am sure it is quite hard. Where are their nests to be found?
Most birds, including Pacific Wrens, are active during sunrise/sunset because during these times their prey-insects are much more active. During hot summer days most creatures rest safe in their homes from the heat (Bird Note). Additionally, you hear more bird songs (as I heard a lot of P. Wren bird songs) in the spring because this is the prime mating season (Science Made Simple). Pacific wren homes are "dome shaped" and are often build in nooks and crannies near water and made from tree material (All About Birds). In a dense forest, like the ones here in Eugene Oregon, there's lots of underbrush for P. Wrens to hide in, so I would not be surprised if I've already passed them on a daily basis blind to the fact that they are there! Pacific Wrens make "chp!" noises as well, and can make a series of chp noises when "exited or agitated" (Youtube). Males songs vary a lot and can be very complex. My observation process included coming back to the same location in order to maintain a controlled environment. I learned lots about the Pacific Wren by observing them and then coming home and doing research. By asking questions about their call, I learned that they make more than the long complex call, but also a shorter sound that I have heard all the time in the forest including the times I went that appeared to be their resting time. I really enjoyed this process, but I would have liked to get better videos/images of the wrens. Although I do know they are difficult to see and capture with my iPhone camera. Reflecting back on my animal now from when I first noticed its call, there is much more to this animal than can be realized at the first glance. They hide among the shadows of the under story and keep much to themselves. They feast on bugs and small critters. This creature is complex beyond our understanding, from its songs and trills to the mating rituals. A Pacific Wren may do its best to blend into its environment. But it is that environment that depends on the balance that creatures make by co-existing with the others around it. I think the Pacific Wren is no mighty condor, roaring lion, or intelligent dolphin, but the Pacific wren is a genius in it's own sense. And that is alright by me. I absolutely think the Pacific Wren should be respected as a life form in the community of life because they live by the rules of life-to live in harmony with the flow of life, and never takes too much. These little birds add room for control of insect populations and provide a food source for small carnivores in the forest as well as never exceeding the limits of its home. The Pacific Wren is in no immediate danger when confronting the problems with human/nature conflicts, but at the same time these wrens prefer to stay away from the outskirts of the forests they inhabit. With the borders of the wild being pushed back further and further, animals like the Pacific Wren will be confronted by the immediate need to adapt to the smaller, new growth forests that will dominate the land unless humans control their output of destruction. If Pacific Wrens are given the respect that all life deserves than they will continue to persist being positive contributors to the natural community.
Images and videos gathered by myself during the spring months April-May:
Sources:
Blackstone, Ellen, "The Heat of the Day" Bird Note. https://www.birdnote.org/show/birds-summer-heat-day. Accessed 5/29/18.
Editors of All About Birds. "Pacific Wren". All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Wren/lifehistory. Accessed 5/29/18.
Naturalist97333. "Pacific Wren" Youtube. January 29, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGgmLH7hm7A&list=PLXwMy6oCwLzOp169_OZ5xAyrbD31oefby. Accessed 5/29/18.
Smithers, Becca. "Why do birds sing so much in the spring?" Science Made Simple. http://www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk/curriculum-blogs/biology-blogs/why-do-birds-sing-so-much-in-spring. Accessed 5/29/18.
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