Pyrrhuloxia Feeding on Cactus Fruits
Pyrrhuloxia Feeding on Cactus Fruits.-On December 10, 1956, a male and a female Pyrrhuloxia (Pyrvhuloxia sinuata) were observed feeding on the fruits of the Christmasberry cholla (Opuntia Zepticollis) growing in a cactus garden near the old tick office building at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, approximately 30 miles southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The pair made several flights to the cactus and were seen carrying away several of the small purplish fruits. While many studies have reported on the food habits of Pyrrhuloxia, I can find no record of their using the fruits of this cactus. Martin, Zim, and Nelson (American Wildlife and Plants, 19.51) list grain and grass seeds as the principal foods of these birds.-LouIs N. LOCKE, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, September 14, 1964
