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Cactus Wren

Cactus Wren

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus

Range & Recent Observations

Cactus Wrenis a year-round resident and doesn't follow a migration flyway. See the Range tab for where it lives.

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the Cactus Wren

The cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) is a species of wren that is 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. Its plumage is brown, with black and white spots as markings. It has 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.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Family
Wrens
Order
Passeriformes

Similar species

Other members of the wrens family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Band-backed Wren Campylorhynchus zonatus
  • Banded Wren Thryophilus pleurostictus
  • Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii
  • Boucard's Wren Campylorhynchus jocosus
  • Cabanis's Wren Cantorchilus modestus
  • Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
  • Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
  • Clarion Wren Troglodytes tanneri
  • Cozumel Wren Troglodytes beani
  • Giant Wren Campylorhynchus chiapensis
  • Grass Wren Cistothorus platensis
  • Gray-barred Wren Campylorhynchus megalopterus

Know when the Cactus Wren turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →

Gear for spotting Cactus Wren

Optics

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Spotting Scopes for Distance Birding

Essential for shorebirds, raptors, and anything too far for binoculars. Our tested picks.

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