Eurasian Wren vs European Bee-eater
Troglodytes troglodytes compared with Merops apiaster
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Eurasian Wren | European Bee-eater |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Troglodytes troglodytes | Merops apiaster |
| Order | Passeriformes | Coraciiformes |
| Family | Troglodytidae | Meropidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 9.5 cm (3.7 in) | 28.0 cm (11.0 in) |
| Wingspan | 15.0 cm (5.9 in) | 38.0 cm (15.0 in) |
| Weight | 9.0 g (0.32 oz) | 56.0 g (1.98 oz) |
| Diet | Insects and spiders, gleaned from dense vegetation, rock crevices, and bark. Active and restless forager. | Primarily bees, wasps, and hornets caught in flight. Removes stingers by beating prey against a … |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | 4-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Eurasian Wren
Dense undergrowth in woodlands, gardens, hedgerows, and rocky areas. Prefers tangled vegetation close to the ground.
European Bee-eater
Open country with scattered trees, sandy banks, and river cliffs for nesting. Breeds in colonies in tunnels dug into earth banks.
Song & Call Comparison
Eurasian Wren
Extraordinarily loud for its tiny size: a rapid, powerful stream of trills, buzzes, and churring phrases. One of Europe's loudest songs by volume relative to body weight.
European Bee-eater
A liquid, melodic 'pruik-pruik' or rolling 'prruup-pruup' in flight. Flocks give a distinctive far-carrying bubbling call audible before birds are seen. Considered a pleasant sound.
Geographic Range & Migration
Eurasian Wren
Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe to Japan. The only wren species found outside the Americas.
European Bee-eater
Southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Winters in tropical Africa. A long-distance migrant.
Conservation Status
Eurasian Wren
European Bee-eater
How to Tell Them Apart
Eurasian Wren
Warm rufous-brown upperparts with fine dark barring. Pale buffy underparts with barred flanks. Short, often cocked tail.
Thin, slightly curved, dark brown bill
European Bee-eater
Richly colored with a chestnut-brown crown and back, golden-yellow scapulars, turquoise-blue underparts, and a black eye stripe. Central tail feathers are elongated.
Long, slender, slightly decurved black bill
About These Birds
Eurasian Wren
The Eurasian wren is one of the smallest birds in Europe but possesses an astonishingly loud song for its size. Males build multiple dome-shaped nests, from which the female selects one to line and use. In British folklore, the wren is known as the king of birds for outwitting the eagle in a flying contest.
European Bee-eater
The European bee-eater is one of the most colorful birds in Europe, displaying a rainbow palette of chestnut, gold, and turquoise. True to their name, bee-eaters specialize in catching venomous insects, skillfully removing the stinger before consumption. They nest in colonies, excavating tunnel burrows up to two meters into sandy banks.