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Cactus Wren

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Wrens (Troglodytidae)
Cactus Wren Head Illustration

Head

  • Bill Shape: Curved (up or down)
  • Eye Color: Gray in juveniles, becoming gray to reddish brown in immatures; Red, orange-red, or dark red in adults.
  • Head Pattern: Eyeline
  • Crown Color: Brown
  • Forehead Color: Brown
  • Nape Color: Brown with black and white streaking.
  • Throat Color: Brown with heavy black spotting and white streaking.
  • Cere color: No Data
Cactus Wren Body Illustration

Body

  • Length Range: 18-23 cm (7-9 in)
  • Weight: 40 g (1.4 oz)
  • Size: Size 2. Small (5 - 9 in)
  • Color: White, Brown, Black, Buff
  • Underparts: Buff with black spots.
  • Upperparts: Brown with black and white streaking.
  • Back Pattern: Striped or streaked
  • Belly Pattern: Spotted or speckled
  • Breast Pattern: Spotted or speckled
Cactus Wren Flight Illustration

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Weak direct flight. Holds tail partially spread when flying.
  • Wingspan Range: 27-28 cm (10.5-11 in)
  • Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Rounded Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Spotted, White band
  • Upper Tail: Black and white barring.
  • Under Tail: Black and white barring.
  • Leg Color: Gray
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Family Wren (Troglodytidae)_blue
Species Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Length7 - 9 Inches
Wingspan10.75 Inches

Cactus Wren

Cactus Wren: Large wren with black-and-white streaked reddish-brown back, dark crown with distinctive white stripe over eyes, white chin, and heavily spotted white underparts with buff wash on sides and belly. Wings and tail are dark with white bars. Bill is long and slightly decurved.

● Song: "guah guah guah guah guah"

● Foraging & Feeding: Cactus Wren: Eats insects, including ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and wasps; occasionally takes seeds and fruits. Forages by searching under leaves and ground litter; also hunts in bushes and trees.

● Breeding & nesting: Cactus Wren: Two to seven pink eggs, flecked with brown, are laid in a nest made of rootlets, grass, and various stems, lined with feathers, hair and fur, and built in a rock ridge, crevice, burrow, bank, or building. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Cactus Wren: Sage Thrasher is grayer, has plain bars on wings and back, brown-streaked underparts, spots are not clustered on breast, has white on tail corners only, and shorter almost straight bill.

Flight Pattern

Weak direct flight. Holds tail partially spread when flying.
Cactus Wren Body Illustration
● Range & 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.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationDeclining in the South
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight1.4 Ounces