Introduction

Birds are the most obvious animals in many habitats, they are everywhere and we often don’t notice them. The desert is no exception, and birds of many types commonly associate with cacti and succulents.

The Details

In a dry place it can be difficult to find resources. Birds need a place to perch and nest, and they need shelter and a place to hide. Maybe most importantly they need food. Cacti can fulfill all of these needs and birds take full advantage of what cacti have to offer.

Charles Darwin’s finches (Geospiza) are some of the most famous birds associated with cacti; several species live on Opuntia flowers, fruit, and seeds part of the year. There are a several Opuntia-associated Galapagos Island birds, but G.  scandens (common cactus finch) is the best known. When Opuntia are blooming the finch feeds on their pollen, nectar, and entire flowers. Later G. scandens will eat fruit and seeds. It is dependent upon Opuntia for much of the year.

Additional Reading: Occurrence of Bird Nests on Jumping Cholla Cacti

Curved-billed Thrasher on cholla, Lon and Queta

White-winged dove nesting on saguaro, SNM

Male Pyrrhuloxia (Desert Cardinal), Andy Morffew

Finch trapped in cholla, Johnida Dockens

Red-tailed Hawk on saguaro

Roadrunner, Henry T McLin