The desert is one of the harshest environments on earth, so animals are required to have adaptations like the camel's hump or the thorny devil's scale divots. The problem is that most birds can't have these adaptations, so they have to resort to other ways of living. One of these birds that can survive in the desert is the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl. This bird actually doesn't have any special adaptations to live in the desert except for where it lives. This owl lives in the cavities of a saguaro cactus in Arizona, allowing them safety from both predators and the sun while also giving them water. This, however, is a one-sided deal, as the cavity causes the cactus to eventually die.