Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Physical Description

Habitat

Desert areas with taller cacti (especially cholla), or arid hillsides and valleys with other thorny plants capable of supporting their bulky nests . The cactus wren is abundant below 4,000 feet in Arizona, but has been found up to 6,000 feet in New Mexico.[1]

Vegetation: arid lowland scrubs, arid montane scrubs • Maximum Elevation: 2,200 meters • Foraging Strata: Canopy • Center of Abundance: Lower tropical: lowlands, lower than 500 m.; tropics. • Sensitivity to Disturbance: Low

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,809 meters (0 to 9,216 feet).[2]

Ecology: List of Habitats :

•     3     Shrubland   
  
•     3.5     Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry   
  
•     3.7     Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude   
[more info]

Biology

Diet

A cactus wren often forages for food by overturning moveable objects on the ground with its large curved bill, capturing creatures hiding underneath. Its diet includes ants , beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, fruits, seeds, and an occasional treefrog or lizard.[1]

Reproduction

The female selects the nest site; the nest is often placed in cholla, but also in other cacti and thorny trees and shrubs such as mesquite, ironwood, paloverde, and catclaw acacia. Both the male and female build the nest.[1]

The cactus wren's nest is a large, conspicuous , spherical structure usually built with dry grasses and annual plants ; strips of discarded paper and cloth found along roadsides are frequently woven in. A long, narrow-sided passage into an internal chamber, as well as the thorny substrate, protects this nest from most predators , although eggs and nestlings are frequently taken by coachwhips and whipsnakes in Arizona. As with most wren nests, the nest chamber is usually lined with feathers . In Arizona, Gambel's quail feathers seem to make up the bulk of the lining (a related species, the masked bobwhite, was once thought to be extinct but was rediscovered in Sonora, Mexico, a few decades ago after biologists found its feathers in cactus wren nests and began searching for it). The female cactus wren incubates, starting with the first egg, while the male builds a new nest in preparation for a second clutch . Additional nest structures are constructed and used as roosts throughout the year. The roost nests often lack the feather lining.[1]

During wet winters, breeding season begins as early as late February, allowing time for double and sometimes triple broods. A young cactus wren takes 16 days to hatch and another 19-23 days to fledge ; it will remain dependent on the parents for food for approximately 30 days after leaving the nest.[1]

• Breeding Habitat : Successional-scrub
• Nest Location: Ground-low nesting
• Clutch Size: 3-5
• Length of Incubation : 16 days
• Days to Fledge: 19-23
• Number of Broods: 2, occasionally 3

Migration

Nonmigratory

Taxonomy

Synonyms

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus (Lafresnaye, 1835)

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 24-Jun-1996

Similar Species

Sage Thrasher

Members of the genus Campylorhynchus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 27 species and subspecies in this genus:

C. albobrunneus (White-Headed Wren) · C. bruneicapillus (Corfu Toothcarp) · C. brunneicapillus (Brown-Headed Cactus Wren) · C. brunneicapillus affinis (Cactus Wren) · C. brunneicapillus brunneicapillus (Cactus Wren) · C. brunneicapillus bryanti (Cactus Wren) · C. brunneicapillus couesi (Cactus Wren) · C. brunneicapillus cousei (Cactus Wren) · C. brunneicapillus purus (Cactus Wren) · C. brunneicapillus sandiegensis (San Diego Cactus Wren) · C. chiapensis (Chiapas Cactus-Wren) · C. fasciatus (Fasciated Wren) · C. griseus (Bicolored Cactus-Wren) · C. griseus griseus (Bicolored Wren) · C. gularis (Mexican Wren) · C. jocosus (Boucard's Cactus-Wren) · C. megalopterus (Grey Barred Wren) · C. megalopterus megalopterus (Grey-Barred Wren) · C. nuchalis (Stripe-Backed Wren) · C. nuchalis nuchalis (Stripe-Backed Wren) · C. rufinucha (Hooded Cactus-Wren) · C. rufinucha rufinucha (Rufous-Naped Wren) · C. turdinus (Thrush Like Wren) · C. turdinus turdinus (Thrush Like Wren) · C. yucatanicus (Yucatan Cactus Wren) · C. zonatus (Banded-Backed Wren) · C. zonatus zonatus (Banded-Backed Wren)

More Info

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Further Reading

• A check list of North American birds. Salem, Mass., F.W. Putnam, 1879. url p. 13.
• A check list of North-American birds by Elliott Coues. Salem, Mass.: F.W. Putnam, 1879. url .
• A distributional list of the birds of Arizona / Hollywood, Calif.: Cooper Ornithological Club, 1914. url .
• A history of North American birds / by S. F. Baird, T. M. Brewer, and R. Ridgway. Boston: Little, Brown, 1905. url p. 503.
• A history of North American birds Boston, Little, Brown and Co., 1874. url p. 132.
• A history of North American birds land birds / by S. F. Baird, T.M. Brewer, and R. Ridgway. Boston: Little, Brown, 1874. url p. 132.
• A history of North American birds, by S.F. Baird, T.M. Brewer, and R. Ridgway. Land birds, illustrated by 64 chromo-lithographic plates and 593 woodcuts. Boston, Little, Brown, 1875. url p. 503.
• A manual of North American birds by Robert Ridgway. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1887. url , .
• A manual of North American birds. By Robert Ridgway. Illustrated by 464 outline drawings of the generic characters. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1887. url p. 547.
• A manual of North American birds. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co., 1900. url .
• Animal geography, the faunas of the natural regions of the Globe. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1913. url p. 141.
• Annual report of the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture of the State of Michigan. .. Lansing: The Board, 1862- url p. 40.
• Biologia centrali-americana: Aves / [London: R.H. Porter], 1879-1904. url .
• Birds / by Spencer Fullerton Baird; with the co-operation of John Cassin and George N. Lawrence. Washington, D.C., 1858. url p. 355.
• Bulletin - United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.];1877-1971. url p. 14, p. 389, p. 78.
• Bulletin / Peabody Museum of Natural History. 1955 New Haven: Peabody Museum of Natural History, url p. 218, p. 303, p. 331.
• Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. New YorkAmerican Museum of Natural History1881- url p. 41.
• Bulletin of the California Academy of Sciences. [S.l.: The Academy], 1884- url p. 430.
• Bulletin of the Essex Institute. Salem, Mass., Essex Institute. url p. 35.
• Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories / Department of the Interior. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1874- url p. 381.
• Bulletin. California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco. San Francisco url p. 527.
• Catalogue of a collection of American birds / belonging to Philip Lutley Sclater. London: N. Trubner and Co., 1862. url p. 17.
• Catalogue of birds of the Americas and the adjacent islands in Field Museum of Natural History. by Charles E. Hellmayr. 13 1934 Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1934. url p. 149.
• Catalogue of scientific papers (1800-1900) Comp. by the Royal society of London. Cambridge, C. J. Clay and sons, 1867-1902; url p. 344.
• Catalogue of scientific papers, 1800-1900. Compiled by the Royal Society of London. London, C.J. Clay and Sons, 1867-1902 [etc.] Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1914-25. url p. 344.
• Catalogue of the collection of birds' eggs in the British Museum (Natural History) London, Printed by order of the Trustees, 1901-12. url p. 66.
• Check-list of North American birds: the species of birds of North America from the Arctic through Panama, including the West Indies and Hawaiian Islands / prepared by the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Orni Lawrence, Kan.: American Ornithologists' Union, 1983. url p. 523, p. 524.
• Check-list of birds of the world. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1931-1987. url p. 380.
• Collected writings on mammals. [v.p.]1870-1908. url p. 41.
• Field ornithology comprising a manual of instruction for procuring, preparing and preserving birds and a check list of North American birds / by Elliott Coues. Boston: Estes & Lauriat, 1874. url .
• Field ornithology. Comprising a manual of instruction for procuring, preparing and preserving birds, and a check list of North American birds Salem [Mass.]Naturalists' Agency, 1874 url p. 13.
• History of Pasadena, comprising an account of the native Indian, Pasadena, Cal., Pasadena history company, 1895. url p. 597.
• Ibis. [London]Published for the British Ornithologists' Union by Academic Press. url p. 317.
• Joy of nature: how to observe and appreciate the great outdoors / [editor, Alma E. Guinness]. Pleasantville, N.Y.: Reader's Digest Association, c1977. url p. 346.
• Key to North American birds. Containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland and Lower California Boston, Estes and Lauriat, 1896. url , p. 867.
• Land birds of the Pacific district / by Lyman Belding. San Francisco: California Academy of Sciences, 1890. url p. 228.
• Memoirs of the San Diego Society of Natural History. 13 1984 San Diego, Calif.: The Society, 1931-1989. url p. 268, p. xvii.
• Nests and eggs of American birds. By Ernest Ingersoll. Parts 1-7. Salem, Mass., S.E. Cassino[c1880] url p. 66.
• Nests and eggs of North American birds by Oliver Davie; introduction by J. Parker Norris; illustrations by Theodore Jasper and W. Otto Emerson. Columbus [Ohio]: Hann & Adair, 1889. url .
• North American fauna. Washington: Fish and Wildlife Service; for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U. S. Govt. Print. Off. url p. 168.
• Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco: California Academy of Sciences, url p. 228.
• Ornithological observations in San Diego County / W. Otto Emerson. San Francisco, 1887 url p. 430.
• Ornithology. edited by S.F. Baird, from the manuscript and notes of J.G. Cooper. [Cambridge, Mass., University press] pub. by authority of the Legislature [of California]1870. url p. 61.
• Our living world; an artistic edition of the Rev. J. G. Wood's Natural history of animate creation. New York: S. Hess, [1885] url p. 650.
• Our native birds of song and beauty, being a complete history of all the songbirds, flycatchers, hummingbirds, swifts, goatsuckers, woodpeckers, kingfishers, trogons, cuckoos, and parrots, of North America. 1 1893 Milwaukee, G. Brumder, 1893-96. url plate IV.
• Pacific coast avifauna / Cooper Ornithnological Club of California. Santa Clara, Calif.: The Club, 1900-1974. url p. 121, p. 121, p. 194, p. 74.
• Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia url p. 124, p. 124, p. 149, p. 149, p. 77, p. 77, p. 83.
• Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Washington, Biological Society of Washington url p. 830.
• Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco, The Academy. url p. 315, p. 346.
• Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] url p. 169.
• Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1860 London: Academic Press, [etc.], 1833-1965. url p. 462.
• Report upon United States Geographical surveys west of the one hundredth meridian, in charge of First Lieut. Geo. M. Wheeler [...] under the direction of the chief of engineers, U.S. Army. Published by authority of [...] the secretary of war in accordance with acts of Congress of June 23, 1874, and February 15, 1875. In seven volumes and one supplement, accompanied by one topographic and one geologic atlas [...] Washington: Govt. print. off., 1875-89. url p. 178.
• Report upon the ornithological collections made in portions of Nevade, Utah, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, during the years 1871, 1872, 1873, and 1874, by H.W. Henshaw. Washington, D.C., 1875 url p. 979.
• Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Made under the direction of the secretary of war, in 1853-[6]. .. Washington, A.O.P. Nicholson, Printer [etc.]1855-60. url p. 35, p. 355, p. 355, p. 41, p. 41.
• Review of American birds in the Museum of the Smithsonian Instution. by S.F. Baird. Washington: The Institution, 1864-1872. url .
• Review of American birds, in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. By S.F. Baird. Washington, Smithsonian Institution, 1864/72. url p. 99.
• Smithsonian miscellaneous collections. 19 1878 Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1862-1968. url p. 493.
• The Annals and magazine of natural history; zoology, botany, and geology being a continuation of the Annals combined with Loudon and Charlesworth's Magazine of Natural History. London, Taylor and Francis, Ltd. url p. 327, p. 327.
• The Auk. Washington, D.C.: American Ornithologists' Union, etc., 1884- url p. 162, p. 185, p. 297, p. 342, p. 395.
• The Great Basin naturalist. 42 1982 Provo, Utah: M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, 1939-1999. url p. 237.
• The birds of North America: one hundred and nineteen artistic colored plates representing the different species and varieties drawn and colored from nature: including a copious text giving a popular account of their habits and 1903 New York: Published under the auspices of the Natural Science Association of America, 1903. url .
• The birds of North and Middle America: a descriptive catalogue of the higher groups, genera, species, and subspecies of birds known to occur in North America, from the Arctic lands to the Isthmus of Panama, the West Indies and other island Washington: Govt. Print. Off., 1901- url , .
• The code of nomenclature and check-list of North American birds adopted by the American Ornithologists' Union; being the report of the Committee of the Union on Classification and Nomenclature. New York, 1886. url p. 325, p. 325.
• The new natural history, by Richard Lydekker. .. and R. Bowdler Sharpe, H.A. MacPherson, F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, W.R. Ogilvie Grant, C.J. Gahan, F.A. Bather, Edgar A. Smith, R.I. Pocock, M. Bernard, H. Bernard and R. Kirkpatr New York, Merrill and Baker[189-?] url p. 510.
• The royal natural history. With pref. by P. L. Sclater. Illustrated with 72 col. plates and 1600 engravings. London, F. Warne, 1893-96. url p. 510.
• The standard catalogue of North American birds eggs. Albion, N.Y., F.H. Lattin, 1892. url p. 48.
• Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History. 13 1963 [San Diego]: The Society, 1905-1989. url p. 58.
• Zoe:a biological journal. 1 1890 San Diego, Calif. [etc.]Zoe Publishing Co. url p. 299.

Notes

Contributors

• BirdLife International 2004. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 18, 2008.
• BirdLife International 2009. Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 31January2012.
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 29, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 7 providers.
• Hines, J. E., Gregory Gough, J. R. Sauer, et al. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
• IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on January 28, 2012.
• NatureServe. 2003. Downloadable animal data sets. NatureServe Central Databases. Accessed February 6, 2005.
• Parker III, T.A., D.F. Stotz, and J.W. Fitzpatrick, and quot;Ecological and Distributional Databases for Neotropical Birds, and quot; in Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation, by D.F. Stotz, T.A. Parker III, J.W. Fitzpatrick, and D.K. Moskovits (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996). ISBN 0-226-64676-9.
• Peterson, Alan P. Zoological Nomenclature Resource. Accessed June 19, 2009.
• Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.
• Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2005. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2004. Version 2005.2. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
• Sauer, J. R., S. Schwartz, and B. Hoover. 1996. The Christmas Bird Count Home Page. Version 95.1. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 29, 2008:

• Avian Knowledge Network: eBird
• Avian Knowledge Network: Great Backyard Bird Count
• Avian Knowledge Network: Project FeederWatch
• Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Birds (Aves)
• Museum of Vertebrate Zoology: Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
• Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: Santa Barbara Musem of Natural History
• UNIBIO, IBUNAM: CNAV/Coleccion Nacional de Aves
• University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ): Bird specimens

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 5159
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-178589
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 2481930
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 178587
• IUCN ID: 197652
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ABPBG02090
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 13348

Footnotes

1. " Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)". Tracy D. McCarthey, Nongame Biologist. Online at Arizona Game and Fish Department. [back]
2. Mean = 925.340 meters (3,035.892 feet), Standard Deviation = 444.160 based on 14,633 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

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