why do wrens leave

Every spring a pair of wrens raise a family in our backyard and then leave. Why don't they stick around for the rest of the summer?

—Betty Leach, Armstrong, Iowa

George:I've had the same experience with house wrens in my backyard—they seem to raise their young and then vacate the birdhouse and disappear.

Reality is somewhat different, however. After the babies leave the birdhouse, they scatter out of sight, but not out of their parents' earshot. The adult birds continue feeding the fledglings for several more weeks.

After the young are on their own, the family breaks up and becomes quieter, snooping around here and there for insects, but well hidden in the habitat.