Cactus Wren in Cholla
What better place for an image of a Cactus Wren than on a cactus? Cactus Wrens are little birds that make a loud, distinctive noise that makes them sound much bigger than they are.
Cactus wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Identification Tips: ...
CACTUS WREN FACTS
Description
The Cactus Wren is a large wren. The head has brown crown, white stripe over the eye and brown through the eye. The back is gray brown with black and white streaks. The throat is dark.
Cactus Wren
Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
The Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) is a widespread resident across the American Southwest and Mexico.
The Cactus Wren's nest is a large, spherical structure usually built with dry grasses and annual plants; strips of discarded paper and cloth found along roadsides are frequently woven in.
Diet The cactus wren forages for food on the ground. It uses its long bill to turn over things on the ground. It eats ants, beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, fruits and seeds. Sometimes it will eat small frogs and lizards.
Cactus Wren
The Arizona state bird, the Cactus Wren, was a bird not know to Audubon in his time, and was therefore not included in the 1840 edition of Birds of America.
Cactus wrens feed on insects, seeds fruit and an occasional frog or lizard.
The range is the southwest area of the United States, primarily in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and western Texas. This is the state bird of Arizona.
Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)
CINCLIDAE: Dippers
American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) ...
Cactus Wrens (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)
Canyon Wrens (Catherpes mexicanus)
Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) ...
Impacts of the October 1993 Laguna Canyon Fire on California gnatcatchers and cactus wrens. In: Keeley, Jon F.; Scott, Tom, eds. Brushfires in California: ecology and resource management: Proceedings; 1994 May 6-7; Irvine, CA.
Not only the Cactus Wren but the House Finch, Roadrunner, and Mockingbird, among others, recognize that cacti deter predators and select cacti for nest sites when possible.
Arizona - Cactus wren
Arkansas - Mockingbird
California - California valley quail (Lophortyx californica)
Colorado - Prairie Lark-Finch
Connecticut - Robin
Delaware - Blue hen chicken
Florida - Mockingbird
Georgia - Brown thrasher ...
Desert Dweller: The Cactus Wren is native to the south-western United States southwards to central Mexico.
In natural cavity, old Cactus Wren or woodpecker hole, or often hole in fence post; nest soft, of hair, fur, feathers, grass, occ snakeskin.
EGGS:
Creamy, marked with browns, purples, olive. 0.9" (22 mm).
Page 21: Gambel's Quail, Sandhill Crane, Harlequin Duck, Cactus Wren, Say's Phoebe (February 2009), Pacific Golden Plover, White-billed Diver, Northern Rough-winged Swallow (March 2009), Marsh Wren, American Avocets (April 2009) ...
The cactus wren and California thrasher often build their nests in the buckhorn cholla. The gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers chop burros in the long arms of the Saguaro Cactus.
What are the main threats to cacti?
The most common is the house wren, is 5 in. It readily accepts nest boxes,
even close to houses, and due to it's aggressive nature will drive
other birds from nest boxes.
The cactus wren is the largest North American wren.
 See also: Wren, Grasshopper, Thrasher, Woodpecker, Sparrow
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