Cactus Wren
Cactus Wren has edged down: down 22% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Cactus Wren
The Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) is a North American member of the Wrens (Troglodytidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the arid-land birds.
- Size
- 4–8.5 in long (10–22 cm) — a small, energetic songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Deserts, dry scrub and brushland of the Southwest.
- Diet
- Seeds, insects and cactus fruit of arid-land plants.
- Range
- Recorded on 278 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 6 states, most concentrated in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts.
- Family
- Troglodytidae · Arid-land birds
Notable Cactus Wren Trends
No notable trend signals for Cactus Wren. See the full index history below.
Cactus Wren Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Cactus Wren is projected to rise about 34% by 2029 — from 0.34 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.46 (95% range 0.17–0.76). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±39.5%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.47 | 0.17 | 0.77 |
| 2026 | 0.47 | 0.17 | 0.77 |
| 2027 | 0.47 | 0.17 | 0.76 |
| 2028 | 0.47 | 0.17 | 0.76 |
| 2029 | 0.46 | 0.17 | 0.76 |
Where the Cactus Wren Is Detected
BBS routes recording Cactus Wren, sized by most recent count.
Cactus Wren Population Trend by State
| Arizona | -10% | 1970 | 59 |
| California | -82% | 1970 | 51 |
| Nevada | -72% | 1970 | 9 |
| New Mexico | +9% | 1970 | 43 |
| Texas | -59% | 1969 | 115 |
| Utah | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
Cactus Wren Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Great Basin | -63% | 1990 | 4 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -64% | 1971 | 16 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -91% | 1969 | 26 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | -77% | 1971 | 13 |
| Edwards Plateau | -63% | 1971 | 12 |
| Oaks and Prairies | -59% | 1969 | 11 |
| Coastal California | -9% | 1970 | 14 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -55% | 1970 | 77 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -3% | 1970 | 21 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -46% | 1969 | 52 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | -59% | 1969 | 27 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | -50% | 1972 | 5 |
Cactus Wren Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 22% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.