Introduced species have also hurt populations. Habitat fragmentation and fire have been of particular concern, as the cactus wren is slow to disperse into new habitats. Populations have declined as the species faces threats related to human activities and habitat loss, although the species remains abundant. Pairing among cactus wrens is monogamous in each breeding season, the males chiefly build nests, the females incubate eggs, and both parents feed the young. It lives in pairs, or as family groups from late spring through winter. They do not migrate instead, they establish and defend the territories around their nests where they live all year-round. Its bulky and globular nests are constructed of plant material and lined with feathers. Its 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. Ornithologists generally recognize seven subspecies, with the exact taxonomy under dispute. The cactus wren is a poor flier and generally forages for food on the ground. It is well-adapted to its native desert environment, and the birds can meet their water needs from their diet which consists chiefly of insects, but also of some plant matter. 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. The tail, as well as flight feathers, are barred in black and white. The chest is white, whereas the underparts are cinnamon- buff colored. It has a distinctive white eyebrow that sweeps to the nape of the neck. ![]() Its plumage is brown, with black and white spots as markings. It is the state bird of Arizona, and the largest wren in the United States. 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.
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