The name Campylorhynchus is derived from the Greek words that means curved beak. One of the most noticeable features about the cactus wren is their curved beak. The beak (or bill) is composed of an upper jaw, called the maxilla, and a lower jaw, called the mandible. A bird's jaw is made of bone that is hollow or porous which allows the bird to conserve weight for flying.

The coastal cactus wren belongs to the family Troglodytidae in the genus Campylorhynchus. The word Troglodyte means "cave-dweller" and the wrens in this family get their scientific name from their tendency to forage in dark crevices. Most of the wrens in this family are relatively small and inconspicuous, except for their rather loud songs. However, the cactus wren is not small and inconspicuous.

I am very excited to announce some awesome news!

Millennial Tech Middle School students are invited to "Name This Blog!"

All entries should embody the spirit of conservation and the cactus wren.

To participate, please post your suggestion in the MTM student forum by March 15th.

The chosen title will be announced on March 17th. The winner will also be featured on the Groundwork San Diego-Chollas Creek website. I encourage all students to get inspired by the cactus wren and conservation. I look forward to reading all of your entries. Best of luck and thanks for participating!

This is my first blog entry and I am extremely excited that I have the opportunity to share my passion for all things cactus wren. Let me introduce myself, my name is Jenny Vaughan and I am a master's student at San Diego State University in the Department of Geography. My interest in the cactus wren started a couple years ago when I became involved with a group called the Coastal Cactus Wren Conservation Network; a group of individuals who want to promote conservation efforts to ensure the persistence of the coastal cactus wren throughout southern California.