South Carolina State Bird: Description, Pictures, & Fun Facts

South Carolina State Bird: All You Need To Know

South Carolina is the 40th biggest and 23rd most populated state. It is well-known for the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Atlantic plain, and the Piedmont. South Carolina’s state animal is the White tail Deer, but what is the South Carolina state bird?

The great Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) was named the State Bird for South Carolina in 1948. In South Carolina, the tiny songbird succeeded the mockingbird as the state bird.

Why is great Carolina Wren South Carolina State Bird?

South Carolina designated the mockingbird as its official bird in 1939. It served the state well for nine years until citizens opted to replace it with a state avian that better symbolized the state’s fauna.

When did great Carolina Wren become South Carolina State Bird?

South Carolina formally designated the great Carolina wren as its state bird in 1948. The mockingbird’s honour was also repealed by the same act.

What does South Carolina State Bird look like?

The great Carolina wren has a cream-coloured body and a brown tail and wing feathers. Their beak matches their wings, and the downy surrounding their buttocks does as well. Their heads are a light cream tint.

The great Carolina wren measures 4.7 to 5.5 inches from head to tail. It has a wingspan of 11 inches. These little birds are just 0.6 to 0.8 ounces in weight. Their colour protects them by allowing them to blend in with the woodlands in which they inhabit.

How do South Carolina State Bird behave?

The big Carolina wrens prefer a wide range of environments. They like open spaces such as fields, woodlands, and wetlands. They will build a nest on a fence post, in a tree hole, or under the eaves of a house or barn. These birds are very inventive when it comes to locating their nests.

A great Carolina wren does not care where it builds its nest as long as it is in a decent site. They will choose a bag, a shoe, a box, a flower pot, or any other thing that will protect them from the weather and predators. It takes both parts of the happy couple to build their nest.

Each of them collects construction supplies and contributes work to the project. When the nest is finished on the exterior, the female bird, who is ready to procreate, adds a tiny finishing touch. Before depositing eggs, she makes the inside of the nest comfy.

It takes some time to get to the point of connecting. To attract a mate, the male of this bird sings love songs loudly. Without acting, the female just sits back and listens. They mate for life after he has properly wooed her.

They also often reproduce, which explains the large number of wrens in South Carolina. Every year, the female bird produces up to three broods of eggs. Each brood comprises between three and four eggs. The eggs hatch after 14 to 16 days of incubation.

Hatchlings develop swiftly and leave the nest after two weeks. While they break out on their own, it takes another two weeks or so for them to get the hang of adulting. Their parents continue to feed them for the next two weeks.

They drop off food and pay visits to the fledglings in the house they build. These birds eat insects, insect larvae, caterpillars, spiders, crickets, true bugs, grasshoppers, tree frogs, snails, millipedes, lizards, tiny fruits, berries, and seeds rather than casseroles.

Do Carolina Wrens form communities?

Great Carolina wrens like to be alone. They forage and hunt on their own, preferring to solely undertake errands with their companion. They will feed as a family – fledglings with their mothers and fathers.

They do not congregate. They seldom ever travel. These birds can fly short distances but prefer to stay close to their nest, guarding it from intruders. They mate for life and may reproduce up to three times every year. They like singing and do so on a daily basis.

According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, the subspecies increased in population between 1966 and 2015. A breeding population of around 14 million birds exists worldwide. Ninety-nine percent of the birds live in the United States, while ten percent live in Mexico.

A few people fly to Canada. Despite this, the birding community continues to keep a close eye on it. The animal earns a Continental Concern Score of seven out of a potential twenty. This isn’t on the 2016 State of North America Birds Watch List.

Although an ice winter may induce population declines, this has not yet occurred. South Carolina does not have all the US birds. The Carolina wren migrates all the way to Oklahoma, but not to the Panhandle. It is mostly a bird of the eastern United States.

What do great Carolina Wrens eat?

Insects, insect larvae, caterpillars, spiders, crickets, real bugs, grasshoppers, tree frogs, snails, millipedes, lizards, tiny fruits, berries, and seeds are among the foods consumed by these birds.

How to attract Carolina Wrens to your yard?

Even though these wrens are wary of humans, you may entice them to your yard. They like backyards and enjoy suet-filled feeders, particularly in the winter. You may build nest boxes out of dried grasses. They prefer slotted boxes to ones with holes.

You may be able to attract a breeding couple to your yard if you build your nest box well before the breeding season and install a predator guard rail. These birds also like brush piles, so establishing one in your yard may assist you with the wrens.

The birds will give you extra points if you have a birdbath or pond. They try to locate places to live that will offer them with food, water, shelter, and nesting locations.