by 6 in. for the base), and the box should be about 8 in. tall. Natural wood and white are good color choices for wren houses. Do not paint the inside of the house as it could be harmful to birds.

The male fairy-wren's coat gleams as though each feather is a shiny piece of metal in a suit of scaled armour. But there's a secret behind the stunning colouring: the feathers of the species are ...