I'm located in Eastern Lower Alabama. Winters are mild here. I don't know if Carolina Wrens migrate or not.

I noticed a Carolina Wren(?) roosting on my porch last year. Even put up a small twig across the corner of my porch for the Wren but the Wren avoided it so I removed it. I guess the weird porch roost is perfect as is or the Wren wouldn't be there.

So I pretty much forgot about the Wren. But then again early this summer, I noticed the Wren roosting on the porch again and I've watched it. Not sure if it's the same Wren as last year but suspect it is.

The Wren leaves at sunrise and returns at sunset to roost. I could set my clock to those times ... sunrise and sunset without fail, windy rain or shine, that has been the Wren's schedule EVERY SINGLE DAY since I started watching it early summer this year. I stay off the porch well before sunset and only go out there only after sunrise so as not to disturb the little Wren.

As I understand, Wrens are usually found in pairs and are monogamous. This Wren, don't know if male or female, is unusual in that regard. This one is a loner, on the roost anyway. The Wren does not poop while on that roost. Not once have I seen ANY bird poop in the area of the roost. Maybe it's a predator protection thing or something.

Anyway as stated, I don't know if they migrate or not and if they don't migrate, I was wondering if there was anything I could do health and comfort wise over winter if the Wren stays. I've read they are mainly carnivores but are known to eat vegetable matter and fruit pulp in small percentages. Was wondering about maybe smearing some peanut butter on a porch post or something. Thing is though, I don't want to disturb the porch roost habitat enough to drive the Wren away or attract so many other birds the Wren is no longer comfortable here.

I'm kind of leaning toward not doing anything and basically ignore the Wren but if there is something I can do for the Wren this winter that is completely acceptable, I would do it. Any advice appreciated. Thanks

Cant help much, but at my last house in Dayton, I had two Doves who built a nest on my porch. They too used it every year. They were kinda messy, but easy to sweep up around and they ignored my comings and goings, including the area cats who hung out on the porch to visit my cat.
I enjoyed watching them raise their young.

If I go just in and out the front door, it usually doesn't disturb the Wren but I try to keep that to an absolute minimum at night. I'll even go out the back and around the side to avoid. I think it's cool that little Wren that makes no mess whatsoever chose my porch to roost on every.single.night.

Since they are said to be monogamous, I've wondered if maybe the Wren lost its mate at some point ... if it ever had one.

Out in the backyard, I have a 20ft extension ladder hung on the side of a garden shed. A Carolina Wren pair nested in the ladder for a couple of years. Then I moved the ladder down a foot or so on the shed wall for easier access and the Wrens haven't come back. Guess they are sensitive to change. The ladder was more under the eave of the shed before, so there's that.

I have an outside dog's water bowl in the backyard that I change at least once and sometimes several times a day. Birds often come for a drink. Interesting to see the different birds that show up.

Wondering a little about the species ID.

That picture is a little indistinct and dark, but it doesn't scream 'Carolina Wren' to me, and we are awash in them here.

This is what the adults look like - picture is from the Cornell Labs 'All About Birds' site. The holding-the-tail-at-an-angle thing is really diagnostic - they all do that. If this is what your visitor looks like in the sun, then you've definitely got a Carolina Wren.

RE: helping him/her out. If you're thinking of putting out a feeder, they are bug-eaters and like suet, especially when it's cold.

They like to hang out in shrubby cover near the feeder, so if you can put the feeder by a bush (or put a shrub near where you're thinking of putting the feeder) that'd make it a great place for a Carolina Wren.

Here's a link to the Carolina Wren page at Cornell's Lab for Ornithology: "All About Birds.org: Carolina Wren"

Don't think this Wren is as golden as that picture but certainly shares some markings with the Carolina Wren. Pretty much looks like that picture but the back feathers are darker and the golden under belly on mine is most notable in the chest area rather than uniform golden the entire length of the under belly.

EDIT: Thanks for the link. Pretty convinced mine is an adult / older Carolina Wren.

We had a pair nest in our box out front. Beautiful birds...

They got spooked and abandoned the nest.

Maybe put up a small triangle of ply up there to give him a little place to stay?

It could be there is a hawk in the area, and the Wren is safer under a covering.

I would suggest a small birdhouse if pissible at that location.

You could do a web search on migration. They seem to be year round in your area.

We have the common ‘House Wren’ here, late to arrive, early to leave. For their size they have a strong, distinctive voice.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/...rolina_Wren/overview

You are one lucky dude. To be able to have a bird’s eye view of the habits of this little creature.
I’d love to have a habitual visitor like that, and I agree, it is most likely the same bird.

They do migrate, but birds have several different migration patterns. I see them way up north here in the summer, and it may be that this particular bird doesn’t migrate any further south than it needs to in order to find food.
Iirc, there are 3 major flyways through the U.S. that most bird species use to travel south, but depending on where they were hatched and how far they flew north in spring, this can sometimes dictate where they end up in the northern hemisphere’s fall/winter. Several species don’t migrate all the way down to South America. I see lots of Different species at my family’s place in Fl around Christmas, wrens included.
We have cardinals that “stick around“ up here all winter, for example, but I suspect they flew down from way up in Canada, stopped over to fill up, and kept finding food, therefore stuck around.

It may be that your friend hatched out near your home, and has returned to a known secure place. Also possible that a human intervened at some point in its life (rehab) and it learned a slightly different method of survival (the strange roost). I’d be taking notes and observing. Maybe even throw a few waxies or mealworms in a safe, cat free spot to see whether you’ve got yourself a breakfast or dinner companion. Congrats on your tenant.

ETA: guess there are 4 flyways - I only knew about them because I grew up next to the Mississippi flyway.

WE live in northern suburb of Atlanta and have these wonderful little guys year round. We have some small birdhouses hanging from front porch eave and a artificial Christmas tree on the front porch. All get inhabited by Carolina wrens, especially in cool/cold weather. In hot weather, they frequent the back rest on several chairs and a glider. Does require some clean up.

They are great at cleaning up spiders on the porch and around patio doors. They even clean the porch when I am sitting out there in a rocker, coming within a few feet of me. They dearly love suet and meal worms, which I keep plenty of in feeders.

Thanks for the comments and advice. Much appreciated !!!

... on a different note, porch visitor today was a female Box Turtle ...