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The cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) is one of the most characteristic birds of the desert floor and foothills of southwestern USA, down to central Mexico. It is the largest wren (about 20 cm) in North America and unlike other wrens it eats seeds and fruits as well as insects and other arthropods. It makes a characteristic ball-shaped nest with a side opening (see images below). The nest is made from grass and other soft materials, usually in the dense part of a cholla cactus. Actually, the breeding pair make several nests close to each other, and the pair often raise several broods in a single season - the male tending for the young in one nest while the female incubates the next batch of eggs in another nest.
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