Lessons for Humanity from a chime of Wrens

Wrens - they may be small, but they are mighty! In these Isles they are mythically ‘king of the birds’. Traditionally, in Pembrokeshire, one was caught and placed in a wren house and paraded around field perimeters to bless the land with fertility on Boxing Day - also known as Wren Day - such a wealth of ‘lore’ surrounding these feisty pot-bellied, loud voiced little beings!

The other day I was sitting at the top of the hill here and noticed three wrens flitting and hopping between a thorny, holly thicket and dancing along Yggdrasil’s (the old Ash) branches. I was curious. A pair of wrens I might expect, but three felt unusual. Was this third a rival male? It didn’t seem so; there was no aggression, and it was too early in the year for courtship. Might it be a weaker fledgling from last year’s brood still hanging around the parental roost, enjoying a little additional care through the winter months? I’ve heard of birds of prey that sometimes continue to care for injured or weaker young well beyond the natural weaning point.

Later that day, I dug out bird books and searched online. It transpires that the tiny wren understands that community is essential for surviving the rigours of winter. As the cold begins to bite, male wrens who are usually solitary will attract other wrens to their roost - females and males, to snuggle up in a chime (yup, that’s the collective noun for wrens). By huddling together, wrens use their collective body heat to survive winter food scarcity and plummeting temperatures. Groups typically consist of a few to a dozen birds, but there are extreme records, such as one instance in Norfolk in 1969 when 61 wrens were found huddled in a single nest box! The birds will often cram together, sometimes in natural cavities, dense ivy or old swallow’s nests, sitting on top of one another with their tails facing the entrance.

Our kin beings are such teachers. Humans too have survived not because of our competitive streak, but thanks to our capacity for cooperation. So, in these harsh times, perhaps we can invoke wren medicine and remember that together we are mighty!