Eurasian Wren vs Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Troglodytes troglodytes compared with Cicinnurus respublica
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Eurasian Wren | Wilson's Bird-of-paradise |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Troglodytes troglodytes | Cicinnurus respublica |
| Order | Passeriformes | Passeriformes |
| Family | Troglodytidae | Paradisaeidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | 9.5 cm (3.7 in) | 16.0 cm (6.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 15.0 cm (5.9 in) | 19.0 cm (7.5 in) |
| Weight | 9.0 g (0.32 oz) | 55.0 g (1.94 oz) |
| Diet | Insects and spiders, gleaned from dense vegetation, rock crevices, and bark. Active and restless forager. | Fruit and insects gleaned from the forest canopy and subcanopy. Particularly favors figs. |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Eurasian Wren
Dense undergrowth in woodlands, gardens, hedgerows, and rocky areas. Prefers tangled vegetation close to the ground.
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Lowland and hill forests on the small islands of Waigeo and Batanta in the Raja Ampat archipelago, Indonesia.
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.
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Male gives a harsh, nasal 'waah' or 'eeah' from display perch. Song is poorly documented in wild. Also produces mechanical rattling wing sounds during display flights.
Geographic Range & Migration
Eurasian Wren
Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe to Japan. The only wren species found outside the Americas.
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Endemic to the islands of Waigeo and Batanta off the northwestern tip of New Guinea, Indonesia.
Conservation Status
Eurasian Wren
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
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
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Males have a brilliant red back, yellow nape, turquoise blue bare crown, and green breast shield. Violet-blue curled tail wires. Females are brownish with bare blue crown.
Short, slightly curved greyish 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.
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Wilson's bird-of-paradise is one of the most extraordinarily colored birds on Earth. Males meticulously clear a patch of forest floor as a display court, removing every leaf and twig. The species was virtually unknown to science until the late 20th century due to its restricted island range.