Cactus Wrens are fairly large, conspicuous birds with a loud, monotonous, churring call. They are easily recognized by their heavily streaked and spotted plumage. They have a long white eye stripe, buff belly, dense black spots on the upper breast, black and white streaks and spots on the back and upper wings, and a long tail with black and white bars. Males and females look very similar.

Cactus Wrens are residents of arid habitats in the southwestern United States and Mexico. They are quite common in urban areas, especially in gardens and vacant lots with cacti and shrubs like jojoba and creosote. Males and females build large grass nests in cactus, especially chollas, shrubs or small trees. These birds have a long, slender, slightly curved bill and feed mostly on insects on the ground or near the ground in cactus or shrubs.

Cactus Wrens are members of the almost exclusively South and Middle American wren family, the Troglodytidae. This group consists of about 80 species of mostly small, brown birds.

The Cactus Wren is a permanent resident of arid and semi-arid desert regions of the southwestern United States, ranging from southern California, Nevada, and Utah, and central New Mexico and Texas, southward to central Mexico (Anderson 1973; Ricklefs 1968; McCarthy 2000).

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Resident from southern California, south to southern Baja California, and northwestern Sinaloa, and from southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, western and south-central Arizona, southern New Mexico, and central Texas, south in the Mexican highlands to Michoacan, Mexico and Hidalgo. To 1800 m in New Mexico.

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus, the largest wren in the United States, is 7-9 inches (17.8-22.9 cm) long. Sexes are similar, characterized by a long, slightly decurved bill, dark crown with a distinctive white stripe over the eye, white throat, gray-brown back streaked with white and black, and white to buff belly and sides, densely spotted at the breast. The wings and tail feathers are mostly black with white barring and the legs are dark. Juveniles resemble adults, but have fewer, lighter chest spots and a shorter tail (Anderson 1973; Udvardy 1994; McCarthey 2000; Gough 1998).

Length: 22 cm

Weight: 39 grams

Differs from the sage thrasher in having a streaked back, heavily barred wings and tail, and a broad white eyebrow. No other U.S. wren has both a broad white eyebrow and a heavily spotted breast.

• Terrestrial

The Cactus Wren is common throughout the southwestern United States. This arid desert, dominated by cholla and other succulent cacti and spiny trees and shrubs, is characterized by high temperatures, low humidity, and scarce water. Arid hillsides and valleys will also be used. The Cactus Wren is generally found below 4,000 feet, although it is found at elevations up to 6,000 feet in areas of New Mexico. They are common even in urban areas planted with native desert vegetation (Anderson 1973; Ricklefs 1968; McCarthey 2000).

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune

Comments: Desert (especially with cholla cactus or yucca), mesquite, arid scrub, coastal sage scrub, and in trees in towns in arid regions (Tropical to Subtropical zones) (AOU 1983). Nests in Opuntia cactus, or in twiggy, thorny, trees and shrubs, sometimes in buildings. Nest may be relined and used as a winter roost.

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

The Cactus Wren primarily eats insects, including ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and wasps. Occasionally, it will take seeds and fruits. Foraging begins late in the morning and is versatile; the cactus wren will search under leaves and ground litter and overturn objects in search of insects, as well as feeding in the foliage and branches of larger vegetation. Increasing temperatures cause a shift in foraging behavior to shady and cooler microclimates, and activity slows during hot afternoon temperatures. Almost all water is obtained from food, and free standing water is rarely used even when found (Udvardy 1994; Ricklefs 1968; McCarthey 2000).

Comments: Feeds on insects (beetles, ants, wasps, bugs, grasshoppers) and spiders. Occasionally eats small lizards and tree frogs. Also eats fruit (cactus, elderberries, cascara berries) and some seeds. Often forages on ground; also in Joshua trees.

Range lifespan

Status: wild: 6.3 (high) years.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 76 months.

The breeding habitat of the Cactus Wren is successional scrub. Nesting occurs on well defined and defended territories, which are occupied most of the year. The females select a nest site high in native thorny trees and shrubs, showing a preference for cholla cacti. Nest building has also been observed in non-native trees and shrubs as well as in non-thorny native plants, though it is not known if these are only used for roosting purposes. Both the male and female help build the large spherical nest of dry grasses, often lined with feathers. Nests are protected from predators by having only a narrow side entrance and the substrate armature. Breeding begins in late February or early March and continues through June. Clutches consist of 4-5 buff colored eggs, speckled with brown. The female incubates the first clutch for approximately 16 days, beginning with the first egg laid, while the male builds secondary nests and defends the territory. Both parents feed the young and fledging occurs at 19-23 days. After fledging, young continue to stay in the parent's territory for about a month, sleeping in roosting nests; this post-fledgling care is long compared to most temperate-zone passerines. Additional nests, built by the males, can be used to rear second, sometimes third, broods. Clutch size, clutch survival, and additional reproductive behavior are often limited by food availability; fluctuating brood size appears to be an advantageous adaptation to unpredictable desert environments and food availability (Anderson 1973; Ricklefs 1975; Ricklefs 1968; Gough 1998; MacCarthey 2000; Simons and Martin 1990; Farley and Stuart 1994).

Average time to hatching: 16 days.

Average eggs per season: 4.

Clutch size is 3-7 (usually 3-5). Incubation lasts 15-18 days. Young are tended by both parents, leave nest in about 21 days (Harrison 1978). Two to three broods per year. Nesting success and timing of breeding may vary annually (Marr and Raitt 1983).

The Cactus Wren is common throughout its range and is not considered threatened or endangered though it is protected, along with all songbirds, by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Their native habitat is not considered threatened and the Cactus Wren also does well in urban areas planted with native species. There are no immediate management needs (McCarthey 2000).

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

No information is available on negative impacts.

The Cactus Wren disperses potentially important semi-arid rangeland plants through the material used in building nests; viable seeds can be spread over long distances in this manner (Milton et al. 1998).

Comments: Has been treated as conspecific with C. YUCATANICUS by some authors (AOU 1998). May constitute a superspecies with C. JOCOSUS, C. YUCATANICUS, and C. GULARIS (AOU 1998). See Rea (1990) for a detailed discussion of cactus wren subspecies.