Week of 03.3.25
Maple syrup season has officially begun in the midwest. This weekend, as I was tapping maples with a cold hammer, my mind wandered to warmer places. I thought of the American Southwest, a place I have personally never been, and all the interesting birds that likely inhabit the area. As sap began to drip out of the tree, I placed a bucket on the spile and thought of all the birds that might enjoy a sip. Are there birds who rely on sap to survive? What about in the desert, under the hot sun, where trees don't grow and water doesn't flow freely? Would they enjoy liquid from a cactus?
All of these questions and more led me to the state bird of Arizona, the cactus wren!
Standing around 8 inches tall, the cactus wren is the largest of its family in the United States. They are similar in size and shape to a common sparrow, but with different coloration. Cactus wrens are speckled brown, white, and black, with a prominent white stripe on their head. These colors provide great camouflage against a sandy and rocky desert backdrop, but this wren hardly needs it! Cactus wrens perch atop cacti and sing loudly, with no intention of hiding.
These birds live year-round in southwestern states like Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and (Southern) California. Their habitat includes aird climates like deserts and scrub brush. They are known inhabitants of the Sonoran Desert, which begins in Arizona and stretches South through Mexico.
Cactus wrens have become creative with feeding behaviors as their environment changes. Although they traditionally catch bugs on cacti, wrens will pick insects out of car radiators in parking lots for an easier meal. They also enjoy cactus fruits. These wrens drink the sweet juice from fleshy cacti as their main source of water. It is incredibly rare to see these birds drink from a pure water source, which are uncommon in desert habitats. So, like midwestern birds drill holes into woody trees for sap, cactus wrens survive off the desert's alternative - cactus juice! Humans also enjoy the juice of desert plants, like the prickly pear. It is described as a subtly sweet, watermelon-y and floral flavor.
This video is old, but shows a great close-up on the bird. Click play to learn more about wren conservation and for a view of the bird's natural habitat.
A big shoutout to all our bird of the week subscribers from Arizona and...
Have a great week!
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Sources:
Art by Anne Longman