Cacti and Cactus Wren; Tucson, Arizona

The Cactus Wren, Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus, builds nests on the Jumping Cholla. The nests are quite secure amongst all the spines and the bird knows how to avoid the spines of the Jumping Cholla. Photographed in the arid scrub Desert of Tucson in Pima County in southeastern Arizona, USA.

The desert landscapes of Arizona are a different world than what I’m used to in the lush, green forests of Georgia. I especially love the varieties of cactus. And on this trip, I discovered another species that favors the cacti, and is aptly named the Cactus Wren, and is the state bird of Arizona.

The Cactus Wren, Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus, is endemic to the southwest and northern Mexico. It can build its nest on the treacherous Jumping Cholla. I myself have been stuck by this formidable cactus and had to pull many tiny, well-planted spines out of my skin. But the Cactus Wren somehow knows how to avoid the spines of the Jumping Cholla.
​
The cactus wren seems much larger than the wrens I’m used to in the southeastern United States. But like our wrens, they co-exist well with humans and often reside in their immediate vicinity, using man-made materials and structures for nesting.

- Sunny and hot, with a high near 105. Light and variable wind becoming west northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
- Sunrise Today:5:16 am; Sunset Today: 7:30 pm
- Daylight Hours: 14 hours, 13 minutes

Cholla Teddybear jumping cactus, Cylindropuntia bigelovii, in the Opuntia cactus family with prickly pears. Photographed in the Desert of Tucson in Pima County in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.

Cactus Wren bird in desert scrub, Arizona. June 11, 2018

Cholla Teddy bear jumping cactus, Tucson Arizona Sonora Desert

Cactus Wren, Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus, is a desert bird that nests in Cholla cactuses. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.

Cholla Teddybear jumping cactus, Cylindropuntia bigelovii, in the Opuntia cactus family with prickly pears. Photographed in the Desert of Tucson in Pima County in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.

Cholla Teddybear jumping cactus, Cylindropuntia bigelovii, in the Opuntia cactus family with prickly pears. Photographed in the Desert of Tucson in Pima County in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.