BREEDING BIRDS: CACTUS WREN

CACTUS WREN

(Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)

Description: Dark crown, streaked back, heavily-barred wings and tail. Has a broad, white eyebrow and a densely spotted breast.

Habitat: Deserts, arid hillsides and valleys.

Diet: Fruit, berries, seeds, nectar and insects.

Displays: Male extends wings and tail and makes a growling sound at female. She responds similarly, then crouches and folds her wings.

Nest: In desert cactus, shrubs and trees. Builds a pouch- shaped mass of forbs and grasses, lined with feathers and, occasionally, grass.

Eggs: Pinkish, usually marked with reddish-brown. Less than 1 inch long.

Breeding bird atlas: To report bird breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas, call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160.

Note: Map is divided into 5-kilometer squares so that Audubon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis.

Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society; “The Birder’s Handbook,” Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” National Geographic Society (1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett and Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981).

Indicates 5-kilometer-square areas where breeding activity has been confirmed.