The Cactus Wren - Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus - is a species of wren that is native to the southwestern US and central Mexico. It is a bird of arid regions and almost all water is obtained from the food it eats. Cactus wrens can live to be 7-10 years old.

Description

The adult has brown or gray-brown upperparts overall, with dark barring on wings and tail and white streaks on back. In flight, white tips and barred white outer edge to tail. Crown is rufous brown, with a striking white supercilium. Face is streaked gray brown and underparts are whitish overall, but heavily spotted on the throat and breast. Belly and flanks are flushed orange-buff in interior birds, but white and more heavily spotted in birds from coastal California. It has a slightly curved bill and there is little sexual dimorphism.

Call

It has the loud voice characteristic of wrens. They sing territorial songs and the males vigorously defend their territory   . The song consist of a one-pitched monotone of chuh,chuh, chuh, chuh, gaining speed towards the end.

Food

The Cactus Wren primarily eats insects, occasionally it will eat seeds, fruits and small frogs and reptiles.

Breeding

They build nests in the protection of thorny desert plants like the arms of the giant saguaro cactus and they build many nests, only living in one. The other nests are decoys. Cactus wrens can have as many as three broods every season. Females find a nesting place in a large cactus or thick shrub, tree or thicket. Males help build the nests.  The female lays between three to six eggs. The eggs take a little more than two weeks to hatch. The young wrens leave the nest after about three weeks, but they depend on their parents for food for another month.

Conservation Status – Least Concern

Birdwatching

See these striking birds in Tucson, Arizona