Joshua Tree National Park is a treasure of geologic wonders that impress with each turn in the road. A bit of patience is required to spot animal residents.
We recently visited the park and saw this cactus wren.
This species is a non-migratory song bird ranging from southeastern California to southern Arizona and New Mexico.
Here’s a video of the wren calling from the top of a Joshua Tree: https://youtube.com/shorts/8KvITLEGj0U?feature=share
Their diet consists of insects and fruits. Unusual in the world of birds, cactus wrens can live without drinking water from pools.
We didn’t spot any football shaped nests while observing this bird. They also use their nests as “roosting sites even during the non-breeding season.”
To keep their feathers free of parasites, cactus wrens take dust baths at dusk before retiring to their nests.
Mashabu 