But you should check to make sure the nest doesn’t have any unhatched eggs or pests. House Wrens are seasonally monogamous. Male House Wrens remove old nesting material between clutches. Related House- Wren Articles. Wrens can clean out their own box and the presence of a used House Wren nest may actually encourage wrens to re-nest. After he mates with a female House Wren, the rest of the nest building process becomes the female's responsibility. If it’s a mess inside and the drainage holes are … They will peck at the eggs to destroy them and clean it out for themselves. Click to learn more About The House Wren Click to learn more About Building a Birdhouse For The House Wren Click to learn more About The House Wren Mating Habits The nests of house wrens are also usually found near the ground but can also be found high up in trees as well, especially in the mountains. The average lifespan of a House Wren is about 7 years old, but that is difficult to verify because wrens don’t always return to the same area every year. She will cover the inside of the nest with grass, feathers, hair and other soft materials she finds appropriate for the nest. A familiar backyard bird, the House Wren was named long ago for its tendency to nest around human homes or in birdhouses. Photo © Claudia Carpinone To measure whether human intervention was helpful, researchers in Illinois removed old nesting material from some nest boxes that they knew successfully reared fledglings in the prior breeding season (Pacejka and Thompson 1996). House Wrens are known to invade other bird nests to use for their own. Not for sure but keep an eye out. Like the House Finch, they were named for their preference for nesting near peoples’ houses. Very active and inquisitive, bouncing about with its short tail held up in the air, pausing to sing a rich bubbling song, it adds a lively spark to gardens and city parks despite its lack of bright colors.