South Carolina State Bird: Carolina Wren
Fact-checked • Updated November 27, 2025
South Carolina State Bird – Carolina Wren
South Carolina made the Carolina Wren its official state bird on April 3, 1948. Governor Strom Thurmond signed the legislation. The species replaced the mockingbird, which had held the title since 1939. Carolina Wrens measure just five to six inches long. They sing year-round and live in every part of South Carolina. The bird's name included 'Carolina.' It stayed through all seasons. Its loud song carried across backyards and woodlands statewide.
Why South Carolina Chose This Bird
Carolina Wrens lived across South Carolina year-round. You heard them in backyards, woods, swamps, and farm edges during any season. No migration meant January sightings occurred as often as July ones. Other candidates flew south for winter. Wrens stayed put.
The South Carolina Federated Women's Clubs picked the Carolina Wren in 1930. Miss Claudia Phelps of Aiken led the effort. The legislature designated the mockingbird instead in 1939. Women's clubs continued campaigning. Lawmakers reversed the decision in 1948 and selected the wren.
The bird's name included 'Carolina' in it. Wrens lived as permanent residents in every county. Year-round singing made them recognizable even to people who never studied birds. The 1948 legislation also made intentionally killing a Carolina Wren a crime, adding legal protection beyond the symbolic status.
Legislative History
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Women's Clubs Campaign (1930)
The South Carolina Federated Women's Clubs launched their campaign in 1930. They debated between the mourning dove and Carolina Wren before selecting the wren. Women's organizations promoted bird adoptions as state symbols across America during this period. South Carolina residents recognized the Carolina Wren as their unofficial state bird throughout the 1930s, even without legislative backing.
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Mockingbird Interruption (1939)
The General Assembly broke with standard practice in 1939. Most state legislatures honored selections made by women's clubs. South Carolina legislators chose the mockingbird instead, passing Act Number 311 that year. The decision frustrated the women's clubs that had worked for nearly a decade promoting the wren. The mockingbird held official status for nine years.
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Carolina Wren Restoration (1948)
Governor Strom Thurmond signed Act Number 693 on April 3, 1948. The new legislation repealed the 1939 mockingbird designation and installed the Carolina Wren as official state bird. Political tensions surfaced during the transition, with newspapers printing barbs about the change. Some South Carolinians felt prickly about the mockingbird's removal, but the wren's advocates had finally succeeded.
What This Bird Represents
State Identity
Carrying 'Carolina' in its common name connected the bird directly to state identity. The scientific name Thyrothorus ludovicianus translates to 'reed-jumper of Louisiana,' but residents ignored that detail. They cared about the common name matching their home. This naming overlap created instant recognition value that no other candidate could match.
Year-Round Presence
Permanence defined the Carolina Wren's appeal. Migration patterns meant other birds disappeared for months each year. Wrens stayed put through summer heat and winter cold. Residents heard their songs in December snowfall and August humidity. This constancy meant the state bird actually lived in the state all year, not just during breeding season.
Agricultural Benefit
Farmers appreciated what wrens ate. These birds consumed massive quantities of insects, especially caterpillars that damaged crops. Beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, stink bugs, ticks, and roaches all fell prey to hunting wrens. They explored every nook searching for spider egg sacs. Getting free pest control from a bird people enjoyed hearing made practical sense to agricultural communities.
Physical Characteristics
Size and Build
These wrens measure 4.7 to 5.5 inches long. Weight ranges from 0.6 to 0.8 ounces. Despite tiny mass, they pack loud vocalizations. The body appears chunky and round with very little visible neck. Tail length stands out, often held cocked upward in the bird's signature posture. Males and females look identical in plumage, though males sometimes grow slightly larger.
Coloration and Markings
Rich chestnut brown covers the upperparts. Warm cinnamon shades the underparts from throat to belly. The most distinctive feature? A bold white eyebrow stripe runs above each eye, creating contrast against the darker head. The tail shows fine black barring. Bills curve downward slightly, long and slender. Florida populations grow larger and display darker, richer rusty chestnut tones compared to birds farther north.
Distinctive Features
Watch for the tail-up posture. Wrens cock their tails upward when excited or alert, something sparrows cannot do. The white eyebrow stripe remains visible even when the bird moves quickly through dense cover. Juveniles appear similar but show paler, softer plumage with buff-tipped wing coverts. Both adults and juveniles lack white tail corners, distinguishing them from Bewick's Wrens.
Behavior and Song
Vocal Performance
Only males sing the loud territorial song. Each male knows at least twenty different phrase patterns, averaging thirty-two total variations. He repeats one pattern several times before switching to another. Common transcriptions include 'tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle' or 'cheery-cheery-cheery.' One captive male sang nearly 3,000 times in a single day. Songs ring out year-round during daylight hours, stopping only during harsh weather.
Duetting Pairs
Males and females duet throughout the year. When a male sings his territorial song, his mate approaches and gives a chattering call that overlaps his phrases. This paired vocalization helps defend territory together. Females produce a raspy churr or dit-dit chatter in response to male singing. The collaboration strengthens their year-round pair bond.
Daily Activity
Wrens spend most time on or near ground level. They search for food by probing bark crevices, flipping leaf litter, and investigating tangles of vegetation. Rarely stationary, these birds energetically explore their surroundings. When out in the open, they move quickly and avoid extended exposure. Curiosity drives them into unusual spaces like mailboxes, flowerpots, old boots, and coat pockets hanging on porches.
Habitat and Range
Preferred Environments
Dense cover attracts Carolina Wrens. They thrive in forest edges, farm boundaries, and suburban yards with thick vegetation. Woodlands, swamps, and overgrown gardens all provide suitable habitat. These birds adapt well to human environments, frequenting backyards with brushpiles and tangled shrubbery. They need places to hide from predators while foraging near ground level.
Geographic Range
The eastern United States hosts most Carolina Wrens. Their range extends from southern Canada through the Atlantic coast and west into Texas. They also inhabit Central America and parts of northeastern Mexico. In South Carolina, wrens appear in every county year-round. The northern edge of their range shifts over time, expanding during mild years then retreating south after severe winters.
Nesting Habits
Males build several nest options and let females choose. Natural cavities work, but wrens prefer unusual spots. Hanging ferns, empty flowerpots, bags, boxes, fence posts, barn eaves, and house porches all serve as nest sites. Both sexes participate in construction, though females add finishing touches before laying eggs. Females typically lay four or five eggs, sometimes raising three broods annually. Eggs take 14 to 16 days to hatch, with hatchlings leaving nests within two weeks.
Interesting Facts
Fact 1 of 8
Carolina Wrens appeared on the back of South Carolina's 2000 state quarter commemorative coin design.
Carolina Wren Songs & Calls
Hear the clear whistles and sharp calls of the Carolina Wren. These field recordings capture their distinctive voice in natural habitat.
Audio licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. All information has been fact-checked and verified against official government records and scientific databases.
Official state government page detailing South Carolina's state bird designation and Act Number 693 of 1948 • Accessed: November 30, 2025
Comprehensive encyclopedia entry covering the wren's biology, behavior, and state bird history • Accessed: November 30, 2025
Detailed account of the 1930-1948 campaign by women's clubs and the mockingbird displacement • Accessed: November 30, 2025
Scientific identification guide with measurements, coloration details, and behavioral information • Accessed: November 30, 2025
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