Rare moment caught on camera as birds rest atop mutated cactus in Arizona. ‘Stunning’ 

BY HELENA WEGNER JUNE 29, 2023 

This photo shows two crested caracaras resting atop a crested saguaro in the Arizona desert, wildlife officials said. GEORGE ANDREJKO Arizona Game and Fish Department 

Two birds were spotted resting atop a rare and mutated cactus in the Arizona desert, giving people on social media plenty to talk about. 

The “special desert sight” was caught on camera and shows two crested caracaras on top of a crested saguaro, the Arizona Game and Fish Department said in a June 28 Facebook post.

 “Is this technically a triple-crested situation then?” the agency wrote. 

All jokes aside, the crested saguaro is a rare phenomenon caused by mutating cells that divide outward to create a fan-like shape instead of growing in a circular pattern, according to the National Park Service.

 Crested saguaros typically exhibit the mutation when they are about 60 to 80 years old, game and fish said. 

And the crest occurs in only about 1 in 200,000 saguaros. There have been over 2,050 documented crested saguaros, with dozens in the Saguaro National Park in Arizona, officials said. 

Officials said it’s illegal to remove these cacti, though people still do because of the rare nature of the plant. 

Facebook users shared their delight after seeing the crested caracaras and the strange cactus. “I’ve lived in Arizona for 50+ years and never have I seen this bird!” one person commented. 

Another reported seeing the crested caracaras in person but are staying tight-lipped on where. “I have a favorite spot for seeing these awesome birds. And I’ll never tell these city slickers where it’s at. They deserve to be left alone,” the person wrote. 

Some Facebook users just appeared to be in awe. “Absolutely stunning!” someone else wrote.