Adult Cactus Wrens are very large wrens; upperparts brownish with scattered white streaks; long white eyestripe; wings barred; long, brown tail barred with black. Juveniles have paler and more sparsely spotted underparts, darker crown, and lighter markings on back and wings.

References cited in Species Profile

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2015. Cactus Wren. All About Birds. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cactus_Wren/id
• Hamilton, Robert A., Glenn A. Proudfoot, Dawn A. Sherry and Steve Johnson. 2011. Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/558
• Tomoff, C. S. 1974. Avian species diversity in desert scrub. Ecology 55:296-403.
• Year 3 Annual Report for the Chula Vista Cactus Wren Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Program (SANDAG Grant Number 5001130; RECON Number 5296)