Owner Comments:
This next coin not only portrays a fascinating modern dinosaur, it is also a piece of NGC history. It is a 2000-S Clad Proof South Carolina state quarter in a 2006 Collectors Society slab that I am excited to add to this set to introduce you to the Carolina Wren, species name Thryothorus ludovicianus.
The Carolina Wren is a small brown bird with white facial stripes, a lemon colored beak and flesh colored legs that ranges from 4.6 to 5.5 inches long, with an 11-inch wingspan and a weight range of .63 to .81 ounces. Believe it or not, this is pretty large for a wren. There is slight sexual dimorphism with males being slightly larger than the females, but otherwise the sexes are identical in appearance. Geographically, Carolina Wrens range across eastern North America from the very southernmost part of Canada down into parts of northeastern Mexico. The geographic range of this species varies seasonally, in years with mild winters, their range will expand farther northward and they will contract southward in years with harsh winters. Within that range, Carolina Wrens inhabit riparian forests, brushy edges, swamps, overgrown farmlands, and suburban yards with abundant thick shrubs and trees, and parks. They also have an affinity for abandoned buildings, which offer shelter, safety and nesting grounds for these little wrens. There are seven recognized subspecies of the Carolina Wren.
As far as feeding, Carolina Wrens are omnivores with a heavy leaning toward the carnivorous side of an omnivorous diet. Most of their food is invertebrates such as insects and arachnids, but they also sometimes eat other small reptiles and small amphibians. Plant matter such as seeds and fruit pulp make up the herbivorous part of their diets, which is the smaller part of their diets. Carolina Wrens are also frequent visitors to feeders, favoring suet feeders over seed only feeders. They are skittish and wary little guys who are often heard but not seen by humans, which makes feeders a great place to try to see them.
Carolina Wrens are fully monogamous and pairs mate for life, though one rare instance of possible polygamy has been observed. However, this could not be verified as a definite instance of polygamy. Breeding pairs defend territories with songs and attacks on enemies, though Carolina Wrens will size up an enemy before attacking to minimize the risk of injury to themselves. But it should be noted that not all other birds and animals in a Carolina Wren pair’s territory are viewed as threats. Carolina Wrens will coexist peacefully with many different species of animals. Carolina Wrens are very vocal birds with a variety of songs and calls for different occasions, such as warning calls, songs for communication and songs for territory defense.
Carolina Wrens nest in cavities, and they will build nests in cavities in trees including abandoned woodpecker nests, bird boxes, bird houses, and a variety of places in abandoned buildings such as mail boxes, lighting fixtures and many other man-made structures. Nests are arch shaped and they are built exclusively by the female with materials brought exclusively by the male. These materials can be almost anything, ranging from grasses and other plant matter to pieces of shed snake skins. Egg laying dates vary widely across the various subspecies and across geographic locations. Typically, 5 or 6 white eggs with reddish-brown spots are produced. Incubation is done entirely by the female for 12-16 days and the male brings food to feed her while she incubates the eggs. Once the chicks hatch, they are fed exclusively on invertebrates brought by both parents until they fledge at 12 to 14 days of age. Carolina Wrens can produce up to three broods a year.
The main predation that Carolina Wrens experience is actually brood parasitism from Brown-Headed Cowbirds. The female Brown-Headed Cowbird will remove one of the eggs from a Carolina Wren nest and lay one of her own eggs in its place. The Carolina Wren pairs will then raise the cowbird chick, which quickly grows to be much larger and more aggressive than the wren chicks and it will often kill them or starve them to death by taking all of the food brought by the Carolina Wren parents. Besides Brown-Headed Cowbirds, Carolina Wrens are more conventionally preyed upon by domestic cats, snakes and smaller raptors.
Another risk that Carolina Wrens face is mercury poisoning via biomagnification through feeding on spiders. By far, the largest threat faced by Carolina Wrens are harsh winters, which typically drop the population significantly through food scarcity. If a Carolina Wren can avoid all of these dangers, they can live from 6 to 10 years.
As far as I know, the NGC Collectors Society slabs were given out to new subscribers to NGC in past years. Though NGC doesn't appear to do this anymore, these slabs are interesting reminders and mementos of an earlier time in NGC history. As a proud member of this amazing society, I am pleased to have this piece of NGC history here in my award-winning set. So that’s our first wren, and an interesting and significant piece of NGC history, all brought to you by the same coin!!