Nest in saguaro

Description:

Grass nest built in a saguaro cactus. The cavity in the saguaro was probably originally made by a gila woodpecker. Despite the spines, which prevent hungry animals from feasting on their tissues, saguaros serve as “hotels” for birds such as Gila woodpeckers, which carve out nest holes in the plants. Gila woodpeckers like the interior of the Saguaro Cactus because it is the only plant it can hollow out for their nest in the desert. The woodpecker will drill 2 to 3 holes before it decides to live in one. It will peck right into the soft tissue that is used to store water. These birds typically wait several months before moving in to give the cactus time to dry and fix the damage by sealing up the inside with "callous scar tissue" and that stops water loss. When a woodpecker abandons a cavity, elf owls, screech owls, purple martins, finches and sparrows may move in.

Habitat:

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a 98-acre (40 ha) zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, publisher, and art gallery founded in 1952. Located just west of Tucson, Arizona, it features two miles (3.2 km) of walking paths traversing 21 acres (8.5 ha) of desert landscape. The nonprofit organization focuses on the interpretation of the natural history, plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert.