Read About Arizona State Bird

Arizona State Bird is the Cactus Wren, the largest wren in North America. Here's everything you need to know about them.

Arizona State Bird -- Facts

  • Breed:

    The cactus wren is a member of the wren family.
  • Size:

    The cactus wren grows to 7-9 inches in length.
  • Varieties:

    There are several varieties of wrens in North America, including Bewick's wren, canyon wren, Carolina wren, house wren, marsh wren, rock wren, sedge wren, and winter wren.
  • Physical Traits:

    The cactus wren has a dark crown with a distinctive white stripe over the eye, a white throat, a grayish-brown back streaked with white and black, and white to buff belly and sides, and is densely spotted at the breast. Its bill is long and slightly curved.
  • Arizona State Bird -- Care

  • Houses:

    The cactus wren roosts in cacti, trees or shrubs, so a Birdhouse is not necessary.
  • Feeders:

    Although a cactus wren may be seen eating seed or fruit from a feeder, they will more likely forage for food on the ground, or in the foliage and branches of larger vegetation.
  • Food:

    The cactus wren eats mostly insects (ants, beetles, grasshoppers and wasps), but will occasionally eat seeds and fruits.
  • Arizona State Bird -- Behavior

  • Flight Patterns:

    The cactus wren does not migrate, instead staying in its desert environment year-round.
  • Feeding:

    A cactus wren will search under leaves and other ground materials, and overturn objects in search of insects. Most feeding is done in the morning, when the temperature is cooler. Almost all the water the bird needs is obtained from food, rather than drinking.
  • Nesting:

    The cactus wren commonly builds its nest in cholla cacti or thorny trees and shrubs in the desert of the southwestern United States. The nest is large and spherical in shape, made of dry grasses and lined with feathers. A clutch usually consists of 4-5 buff colored eggs, speckled with brown.
  • Geographic Locations:

    The cactus wren lives throughout the southwestern United States, including southern California, southern Nevada, southwest Utah, central New Mexico, and central and southern Texas, as well as southern, western, and central Arizona.
  • Arizona State Bird -- How to Choose

  • Supplies:

    There are no supplies needed, as the cactus wren is generally self-sufficient.
  • Expense:

    The only expense you may have is if you decide to buy binoculars or a camera to observe the birds.
  • Other items you may need:

    You may want to have binoculars or a camera with a long zoom lens so that you can observe the cactus wren from a distance, so as not to disturb the birds.