Nestled in between the body of the Saguaro cactus and one of it's arms is an ideal place to build a nest.
Think about it....what kind of predator would want to get to close to this nest?
Who is the culprit? What kind of bird would think that a nest in a Saguaro is a safe place to raise their young?
Photo by Jarek Tuszynski / Wikimedia Commons
Let me introduce you to the Cactus Wren, Arizona's State Bird. They are extremely inquisitive and mischievous birds. Leave the sunroof cracked open in your car, and you will come back to a messy interior (you will need to wipe the seat before you sit down). They are absolutely fascinated by humans and their stuff.
Another favorite nesting site for the Cactus Wren is nestled among the segments of a Buckhorn Cholla.
Who lives in these holes?
Photo by Jean-Guy Dallaire / Wikimedia Commons
This is a Gilded Flicker, who makes his home inside of this Saguaro cactus. They create new holes each spring and raise their young inside. When they leave, many other types of birds take up residence inside the vacated holes.
Photo by Dominic Sherony / Wikimedia Commons
Elf Owls will often move into the vacated holes. The holes, made by the birds, will not kill the saguaro.
So, the next time you see a bird's nest in an unusual place, (I saw one inside of the 'A' of my local Target store sign this morning), think of the reasons why.....what is it about that particular location that makes it safe?
26 comments:
Wonderful. I love learning new information about our feathered friends. I was clueless that it would not hurt the cactus.
thanks.
Wonderful post! Nothing better than plants AND BIRDS! *laughing* and I was just about to ask what kind of bird built that little nest when... waalla! And what a cute little creature. Hope you and your family enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving. Robin from The Flying Orchid
What great photographs! I spotted you at Catmint's site and thought I'd visit. My husband and I visited friends near Mesa, AZ (and relatives near Tucson) the first week or so of April. We had a wonderful tour/visit and enjoyed our hikes and the beautiful flowers!
When I visited the Phoenix botanical garden in September, I was fascinated by the large cactus plants that had become apartment buildings for birds. Now i know what kind of birds live there. Thank you for a delightful, informative post.
I love the pictures of birds nests in different place -I never would have thought inside a cactus.
We do see the birds in the Home depot and Lowe's quite frequently. I guess it's like a haven in the garden department for them
vickie
I loved seeing all the different nests. The Cactus wrens do sound similar to the wrens here, always snooping around :)
It's interesting that the Flicker there looks so similar to the Northern Flicker we have here, but that one makes it's home in a cactus, the other in a tree.
Hi Catherine,
I guess it just goes to show that birds will make their homes in whatever plant is in their environment.
Hi Deborah,
I hope you enjoyed your visit to the Botanical Garden. It is one of my favorite places to visit.
Hello Shady Gardener! Thank you for visiting my blog. I will visit yours as soon as I am finished with this post :0) I am glad you had a wonderful visit. April is such a colorful month in the garden.
Hi Vickie,
I know what you mean, the birds seem so happy inside of those stores.
Hi Robin,
We had a great Thanksgiving and I had a great day of shopping. I hope you had a great holiday as well.
Hello Hummer,
Thank you for your comment. You would think it would hurt the cactus, but the saguaro is quite resilient.
wonderful images of birds nesting in cacti. In suburbia birds don't have so many safe places to nest any more. That's why they can do with our help.
Lovely post, birds and gardening are inseperable. Your wrens are a lot braver than ours, who won't join in the melee at the feeders but scuttle about in hedges and walls, looking for insects. Intelligent birds too if they make use of all the plant's hard work on defense.
I am a bird nerd, and I loved this post! I am especially fond of the elf owl. What a cutie! They sure picked a peculiar place for a nest! Ingenius!
Noelle, Lovely to see the nests or entrances all to do with cactus. Certainly a good barrier to keep away predators. Not that any predator would want to confront a wren. Naughty little guys with such sweet songs. There is no protecting other birds from their sharp beaks. I particularly love seeing that an owl uses a flickers old hacienda. Beautiful photos! Carol
The little cactus wren is great! So cute and I can just picture having to clean your car out if you make the mistake of leaving the sunroof open.
Hi,
I love reading about birds and found this post "right up my alley" I love my little wrens here in Illinois.They are so bossy and build their nests in many of my houses. I love to sit and watch them tear apart another bird's nest...then put the same material back in...so they can have it "their way." Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.
Balisha
Lovely pics and a very informative post. The Saguaro is such a stately cactus! No chance of me growing one here in a hurry LOL.
That Catus wren is a handsome chap isn't he? Fascinating post, thanks Noelle.
RO :o)
I love those big sized "american hamburger" cactus. Hope to see one live sometime! We have had rain and 3 degrees for three weeks until today. Now we have -3 degrees-thank you lord! See you around.
I love cactus wrens. They are so cute. I love the unusual places you found the nests in. Just great! The elfin owl is anther favorite.
Oh what sweet birds, Noelle! I love the little wrens, the colors are fabulous on those spotty feathers too. Very similar in nature to our Carolin wren. They too love to meddle in human habitats and scare the wits out of me when they suddenly fly out from under the garage deck as I am walking by there. How amazing the woodpecker and owl are in the cactus too. Thanks for showing us, we had no idea! :-)
Frances
Nice post - never seen birds living on or in a cactus before.
Have a nice weekend
It does make sense--it would have to be a brave predator to try to reach these nests. I remember seeing these nests in the cacti on my trips to the Desert Botanical gardens. The tour guide mentioned that often times snakes will crawl into the vacated nests later. A good reason not to check them out too closely:)
This was sooo beautiful! Very intriguing to see !I love birds and find their homes fascinating..great job!AWesome!!
Great to see those nest in the cactus - what else to expect in the desert when trees are rare.
It is very difficult to spot a nest in the dense tropical forest, glad to note these in your post.
Thanks for sharing.
This is so interesting, Noelle. I did wonder whether the nests/holes would cause any damage to the plants but you answered the question.
Loved seeing the birds...so different from the ones we have here. I'm beginning to see cactus plants in a totally different perspective now. Thanks!
Great photos, I love saguaro cactuses (or is it cactii?). The birds are lovely, and seem very pleased with their clever choice of home location.
I don't know exactly why, but bird nests are fascinating to me. I love having birds in my garden. Last year we had boreal chickadees and american robins nesting in our tiny yard in Alaska. Great post!
What a gang of cuties! Do you think they burrow into the cacti to access water as well as be protected?
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