Meet the bird living in my wreath.

Yes, you read that correctly: a bird lives in my spring wreath on my front door, which is the only way in and out of my apartment.

I put the wreath up in late March, and it’s a wreath I’ve hung every year. I made it using faux magnolia leaves and lemons but this year, I added more faux greenery and flowers leftover from a craft project.

I added a homemade bow from a scrap of canvas fabric I had in my craft bin — ’tis the year of using what I have.

I hung the wreath on my door and took a picture; it was so colorful and pretty!

About a month ago, I was working at my desk and I kept hearing very slight tapping on my door. It wasn’t loud enough to scare me, but I kept noticing it. It sounded like someone was outside my door, messing with something.

I looked out the peephole a few times. I didn’t see anything, so I moved on with my day.

Now, admittedly, I am a homebody, and I don’t leave my apartment often. I typically try and run all of my errands during one outing each week for a multitude of reasons.

So, when I opened the door a few days later to run errands, I noticed a good bit of debris on my welcome mat. There were small sticks and leaves near the door.

But I figured it was from the wind or the landscaper; no big deal. When I arrived home, I was face-to-face with a very well-crafted nest right in my wreath’ it almost looked fake, as if I purchased it that way!

I then pieced together another clue: every time I’d opened the door in the last few days, I noticed a bird flying by. Now I knew it wasn’t one flying by; it was flying out of its nest!

What to do when a bird is living in your wreath

At first, I didn’t think much about the nest in my wreath. I also didn’t know much about birds.

Initially, I was a little flattered that a bird selected my wreath as its home. I figured it could be a sign from the universe, too (more on this later).

When I told my mom about the nest, she said a family friend always had issues with birds building nests in her front door wreaths — to the point she stopped putting them up.

This got me thinking: does every nest = eggs?

I turned to Google and learned that, yes, nests are built for the sole purpose of housing eggs and raising baby birds. This added a little bit of stress to the equation.

I didn’t want to do anything that would prevent the eggs from being viable or hurt the baby birds.

Then, I turned to Reddit. I know Reddit has a bad reputation but some threads are incredibly helpful, and in this case, it was nice to know I was certainly NOT alone.

Several pictures of wreaths with nests in them and stories of how the human residents coped were included in the thread. I learned that once a bird lays eggs in a nest, it’s illegal to move or tamper with it (not that I would, of course).

Many residents said they simply moved the wreath, even if it was just to a nail on the wall nearby. I didn’t have that option, and I’m 99% sure the nest relies on my door for stability.

There were also stories of the birds being aggressive toward human residents, which led me to want to learn more about the bird living in my wreath.

Before I get into my research, I’ll say how I’ve coped with the nearby nest is this: I have simply tried my best to reduce the number times I open my front door.

I also just try to be very careful when I do open it, because I don’t want the wreath to move.

It’s easier for me to open the door to put out trash and accept deliveries than it is to actually leave, which sounds strange, but I try not to open the door very wide because I am afraid the bird will fly into my apartment — eh!

I’ve found solace in Caitlin Shetterly’s story — “When Birds Nest in the Doorway, Go Out the Window” — I stumbled upon it while researching what to do in this scenario.

Sure, it’s an inconvenience to rarely use my only door. But you know what? I can inconvenience myself for a while for new life, right at my doorstep.

The bird living in my wreath

Every time I would see the little bird that lives on my door, it was a very quick glimpse. However, over the last month, I’d like to believe she’s getting more comfortable with me, and she knows I’m trying my best to support her home.

When I had to open the door, she went from flying down the hall to just hopping out of the wreath and waiting a few feet away for me to do whatever I needed to do. A few times, I left a bit of tortilla out for her.

At that point, I decided the bird needed a name. I turned to ChatGPT and described the bird. It returned with a list of options from “Whisper” to “Misty,” but I loved its final option: Zephyr.

Next, it was time to figure out who Zephyr was!

When I started researching, I just knew she seemed very small (and very cute), the nest was almost built like a tunnel, and I could recognize her beak and body shape if I saw it in a picture. I also know where she lives (ha), so I could use that to my advantage in narrowing down my research.

I started by looking up the types of birds that typically build nests in wreaths, which are American Robins, Sparrows, Dark-Eyed Juncos, House Finches, and Carolina Wrens.

I looked up each type of bird that made nests in wreaths and knew it looked mostly like the Carolina Wren, but I wasn’t 100% convinced.

I was determined to get a better look at her when I had the chance.

A few days later, a delivery person arrived to bring juice for my juice fast. When I opened the door, he said the bird “scared the shit” out of him. I pointed to the nest, and he was happily surprised.

“It’s just right there,” he said, pointing to the end of the hall. Zephyr was watching us and squawking very loudly.

That was the first time she seemed more aggressive about the nest. Even when I shut the door and the delivery person left, she was still squawking!

I realized she may have laid eggs or the eggs hatched, and the situation (in my head) became a little more serious. A few days later when I opened the door, I didn’t see her, which worried me. I hoped she wasn’t so upset that she abandoned her nest.

I continued my research and once I learned more about the Carolina Wren, the type of nest it builds, it’s location (popular in Texas), and hearing its song (thank you, YouTube), I was more certain.

And then, last Friday, I opened the door (very slowly) to put out some recycling. Zephyr hopped to the ground and I told her good morning.

She chirped a few times at me and I kept talking to her so I could get a solid look — 100% a Carolina Wren!

I made a mental note to take my phone to the door next time, although I don’t see her every time I open the door (I am getting better at opening it very gently and slowly).

My research showed that Carolina Wrens are typically kind to humans (House Wrens are not), which eases my fear of Zephyr attacking me — there were many stories of Robins being aggressive in the Reddit thread.

I will say, building a nest in a wreath is pretty smart. Obviously, Zephyr didn’t know I’d be opening and closing the door, which is really the only downside. It’s off the ground, away from predators, and it’s covered by a roof — the nest and Zephyr survived a crazy storm — and our suburban location means plenty of food and other resources.

I’m too afraid of bothering Zephyr to be much of a spy. I look out my peephole daily, but rarely see much of anything. Her tunnel-like nest keeps me from seeing any eggs or baby birds, so I have no idea what the timeline is — when will I be able to use my door freely?

Carolina Wrens typically lay 3-7 eggs, and the incubation time is around 16 days. From there, it takes them another two weeks to leave the nest.

Regardless, it’s okay. I truly hope Zephyr feels safe in the wreath and is able to teach her babies to fly safely into the world when the time is right.

Spiritual Meaning of a bird living in your wreath

When I initially saw the nest in my wreath, I couldn’t help but think that this was some sort of sign from the universe.

After all, birds are messengers!

When the juice delivery person saw the nest, he said, “She must trust you!”

According to my neighbor, Zephyr attempted to build a nest in her wreath, but my neighbor heard the tapping and took her wreath down.

I understand the inconvenience, but I feel lucky to have Zephyr nearby 🙂 At the very least, I know she’s eating any insects that come near my door (thank you, Zep!).

I did some digging online and found that a nest right at your front door can mean a multitude of things, including:

• Divine protection from negative energy and a reminder that you’re not alone in your journey.
• The arrival of new beginnings and fresh opportunities.
• A reminder of the importance of home and family.
• A sign to appreciate and reconnect with nature.
• A symbol of abundance and prosperity.
• Protective energy surrounding your loved ones.
• A reminder to have faith and trust in the journey of life.
• A representation of your inner strength and resilience.
• A sign of blessings and good luck coming your way.
• A reminder to manifest your dreams and create the life you want to live.

Wow! I’ll take any one of these meanings.

I’ll admit, having Zephyr at my door is sightly stressing (I just don’t want anything bad to happen), but I’m grateful for the experience. I’ve learned a lot about birds that I probably would’ve never cared to look up before her arrival.

I know I won’t get the chance to say a proper goodbye to her, but now that I can spot a Carolina Wren from several feet away, I have a feeling she’ll be nearby.

Given how friendly she’s been to me when we do see each other, I think, on some level, she knows I’m on her side.

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