Victoria Carroll
With the relationship between the saguaro cactus and the cactus wren being mutually beneficial in nature, I wanted to explore a close up glimpse at one of the nesting habits of the wren. The bird begins by selecting a hole in the cactus created by a fellow bird, the gila woodpecker. In the process of carving a hole, the cactus responds by forming a tough outer shell to incase the plant's wound. This is then selected by other species of birds as an ideal nesting place, safe from predators amidst the spines of the saguaro.
Below is a rough sketch of the saguaro with a wren perched comfortably among the spiny plant.
