page_title: Cactus wren
section_title: Distribution and habitat
hierarchical_section_title: Cactus wren / Distribution and habitat
caption_attribution_description: English: Cholla cactus and desert vegetation in the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, Arizona
context_page_description: The cactus wren is a species of wren endemic to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern and central Mexico. It is the state bird of Arizona, and the largest wren in the United States. Their coloration is brown with black and white spots as markings. They have a distinctive white eyebrow that sweeps to the nape of the neck. The chest is white, whereas the underparts are cinnamon-buff colored. Both sexes appear similar. The tail, as well as flight feathers, are barred in black and white. Their song is a loud raspy chirrup; akin – in the description of some ornithologists – to the sound of a car engine that will not start. They are well-adapted to their native desert environment, and can meet their water needs from their diet which consists chiefly of insects, but also of some plant matter. The cactus wren is a poor flier, and generally forages for food on the ground. Ornithologists generally recognize seven subspecies, with the exact taxonomy under dispute.
  Their common name derives from their frequenting desert cactus plants such as the saguaro and cholla, building nests, roosting, and seeking protection from predators among them.
context_section_description: The cactus wren is a bird of arid and semi-desert regions, and generally requires spiny cactus to nest in. Its range includes the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. The cactus wren is not migratory, and establishes a permanent territory which it defends vigorously. Territories are typically 1.3 ha (3.2 acres) to 1.9 ha (4.7 acres). The size and shape of territories change very little throughout the season.:18 Territory is defended from other birds by fluffing tails and feathers and vocal scolding. Persistent trespassers may cause the wrens to give chase.
  The cactus wren is found only in the United States and Mexico. In the U.S. it is present in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. In California it is found mainly as southern coastal populations existing below 600 m (2,000 ft), but some have been found up to 950 m (3,120 ft). Nevada represents the northernmost extent of its range: it is found in the southern tip of the state; the northernmost breeding population is found in Nye County, near Tonopah. In Utah it is found only in the extreme southwest. Its range in Arizona is widespread in the southern part of the state, and along the Colorado river. In Arizona it is found from sea-level up to 1,400 m (4,600 ft). Populations in New Mexico exist in the south, down to along the Rio Grande and into Mexico. Its range in both New Mexico and Texas may be expanding northward. Texas cactus wrens live between sea-level and 1,800 m (5,900 ft), throughout the Texas panhandle, central Texas, and as far east as Travis County. In Mexico it is found in Sinaloa, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Neuvo Leon, Hidalgo, and throughout Baja California. On the Central Mexican plateau and in New Mexico it is found up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Populations may be expanding their range in Baja California, but they are not found in the mountains or interior of Baja.
caption: Typical habitat, with abundant cholla, in the McDowell Mountains of Arizona
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