Category Archives: Birding Arizona

Rare Birds in Catalina State Park

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Bob

Catalina State Park is one of Arizona’s state park gems, and remarkably the nearest one to a major population center.  The park was established in 1983, and consists of 5,493 acres of high desert/lower Sonoran Life Zone. The park entrance … Continue reading →

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Sharpie, the Cooper’s ‘Innocent’ Cousin

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Bob

Wherever you find birds in the greater Tucson area, sooner or later you’ll find a Cooper’s Hawk, as well.  This is to be expected, since Cooper’s Hawks feed almost exclusively on other birds.  And, being resourceful, Cooper’s Hawks are commonly … Continue reading →

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Silky Flycatchers

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Bob

With 10,000 species of birds in the world, it’s difficult to pick favorites, but I can’t resist a family with the name ‘Silky-flycatchers.’  Actually, the scientific name for this small family is Ptilogonatidae, but ‘Silky-flycatchers’ is easier to pronounce. There … Continue reading →

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The Canada del Oro Wash; a Natural Aviary

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Bob

One of metropolitan Tucson’s major washes, the Cañada del Oro ‘flows’ some 80 miles south and west from the slopes of Mt. Lemmon,  past SaddleBrooke and Catalina and through Oro Valley until it finally joins the Santa Cruz River west of Interstate 10.  … Continue reading →

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Ravens and Crows and Ravens, Oh My!

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Bob

Like a lot of other folks, you might think Edgar Allen Poe when someone mentions ‘raven’, and in fact many western poets, authors and cultures have associated the raven with danger and death. But not all is midnight dreary with … Continue reading →

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Orioles in Arizona

Posted on August 2, 2014 by Bob

Probably our most striking set of summertime visitors are members of the genus Icterus, the new world orioles.  Orioles are part of the family Icteridae, a group that includes seemingly unrelated birds like grackles, blackbirds, bobolinks, cowbirds and meadowlarks.  Though … Continue reading →

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The Sweet Sound of Springtime Birdsong

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Bob

(note the following was published after the severe desert winter of 2010/2011)   After the cheerless chill of an especially harsh winter, and the depressing sight of moribund palms and citrus, it’s nice to hear our birds singing again.  We … Continue reading →

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SaddleBrooke’s Spring Switch in Lineup of Birds

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Bob

Baseball spring training tests player skill, compatibility, interaction and adaptability, ultimately producing a lineup that hopefully succeeds until fall.  Similarly, Mother Nature has been managing the spring lineup of birds for eons, long before Abner Doubleday (or whoever) dreamed up … Continue reading →

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Free Guided Bird Walks in Southeast Arizona

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Bob

  An article in the August 5, 2011 issue of USA Today, titled Bird-watching is Big Business in Arizona, named our part of the state as one of the “two or three best places in the United States to look … Continue reading →

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Arizona’s African Valentine, the Rosy-faced Lovebird

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Bob

  If you keep a life-list of North American bird species, one of the more exotic additions to your list can be found an hour from here on the outskirts of Phoenix.  The Riparian Preserve at the Water Ranch in … Continue reading →

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