The Grand Canyon State provides countless bird watching vacation opportunities
Written by Vacation Idea.com Travel Editors.
Arizona's deserts, rivers, mountains and canyons provide a diverse landscape that attracts a wide variety of bird species. We have put together a collection of bird watching spots in Arizona to help you plan your next bird watching vacation.
Phoenix & Central Arizona: If you go in the fall, winter or spring, you will be able to combine bird watching with hiking in several of the state parks. The Lost Dutchman State Park, located on Highway 60 east of Phoenix, features a three-mile hike during which you can observe birds. Situated in the Sonoran Desert at an elevation of 2000 feet, the park features 35 regular campsites, picnic facilities, and special programs throughout the year. For more information, call 480-982-4485.
Further east on Highway 60, about one hour east of Phoenix, lies the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, featuring desert plants and over 250 species birds , including Gambel's Quail, Gilded Flickers, Cactus Wrens, Curve-Billed Thrushes, Black Throated Sparrows, and many other lower Sonoran birds. More about the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
Tucson & Southern Arizona: The Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, located 60 miles southeast of Tucson, features cottonwood and willow trees, and is home to 275 species of birds. For more information, call 520-622-3861.
Cochise County in the southeastern corner of Arizona is known as one of the best birding spots in the United States. West of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, one can spot more than 400 species of birds in the Carr, Ramsey, and Miller Canyons.
Southern Arizona's birding festivals take place in January (Wings Over Willcox) and August (The Southwest Wings Birding Festival in Bisbee). For more information, visit www.explorecochise.com.
Northern Arizona: The Arboretum at Flagstaff, open April 1 through December 15, features over 100 species of birds, including bluebirds, tree swallows, great blue heron and sharp-shinned hawk. Read more about the Arboretum at Flagstaff.
Mormon Lake and its surrounding forest areas, located 30 miles south of Flagstaff, are home to owls, warblers, crossbills and the largest number of wintering bald eagles in the Southwest.
On the Grand Canyon's South Rim at Lipan Point, one can spot raptors, hawks, bald eagles, and even endangered California condors, which have wingspans that can reach nine and a half feet.
In the Navajo country of northeastern Arizona, look for a variety of waterbirds at Lake Powell.
Arizona's West Coast: The Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is home to some of America's rarest birds, including the Southwestern willow flycatcher and the Yuma clapper rail. The refuge begins at Lake Havasu City and stretches 30 miles north on the Colorado River. Further south on the Colorado River, one finds woodpeckers and Yuma clapper rails. The Yuma Birding & Nature Festival takes place each April.
North Central Arizona: The White Mountain area features several lakes which are a comfortable nesting and breeding spots for the birds. Near Prescott, one can spot woodpeckers, warblers and wrens which prefer the forest and lake areas. Northeast of Prescott, visit the Oak Creek Canyon for spectacular scenery and unique wildlife.
