Cactus Wren

Overview

Cactus Wren: The Interior adult has black-and-white streaked reddish-brown back, dark crown with distinctive white stripe over eye, white chin, and heavily spotted white underparts with buff wash on sides and belly. Wings and tail are dark with white bars on sides. Bill is long and slightly decurved. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has fewer and paler breast spots and shorter tail. The Coastal adult is similar to the Interior adult with a darker wash on sides and belly.

Range and Habitat

Cactus Wren: Resident of arid and semi-arid regions in the southwest U.S. and central Mexico. Preferred habitats include deserts dominated by cholla and other succulent cacti, spiny trees, and shrubs, with high temperatures, low humidity, and scarce water.

INTERESTING FACTS

It has been the state bird of Arizona since 1931.
Nests are built high in thorny trees and shrubs with only a narrow side entrance.
In this way the birds take advantage of the plants’ natural defenses for their own protection.
The Cactus Wren builds many nests as decoys but actually lives in just one of them. Additional nests built by males may be used to rear second and even third broods.
A group of wrens has many collective nouns, including a "chime", "flight", "flock", and "herd" of wrens.

The Cactus Wren is native to Mexico and the United States. The range of the Cactus wren is nearing 2 million square kilometers. The global population of this species of bird is believed to be almost 9 million individual birds. At the current time, there are no immediate concerns regarding possible threats that might reduce the population or the range of the Cactus Wren. It is rated currently as Least Concern, downgraded from a prior Lower Risk rating.