STATUS: Locally common.
HABITAT: Inhabits desert mesas in association with creosotebush, mesquite, and saguaro and organ-pipe cactus. Also occurs in riparian areas and in foothill canyons among cottonwoods, willows, and sycamores.
SPECIAL HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Suitable nest sites in the Sonoran Desert such as cottonwoods, mesquites, and saguaros.
NEST: Excavates holes mainly in saguaro but uses cottonwoods, willows, and mesquites at higher elevations and in riparian habitat.
FOOD: Mainly eats insects; also eats fruits and nuts, and occasionally preys on nestling birds and eggs.
REFERENCES: Bent 1939, Phillips et al. 1964, Terres 1980.