Arizona in Winter

Our Arizona in Winter birding tour begins today. We will meet at the hotel for a welcome dinner and an introduction to the exciting birding ahead. Night in Tucson.

We begin our birding adventure in the spectacular Sonoran Desert around Tucson, where forests of towering saguaro cactus provide habitat for a distinctive community of desert birds. We’ll search for regional specialties such as Gilded Flicker, Gila Woodpecker, Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Phainopepla and Cactus Wren. Greater Roadrunner is another bird we’ll keep watch for, while Crested Caracara is a more localized possibility.

We’ll also visit some of Tucson’s productive wetland areas. In this arid landscape, open water concentrates an impressive variety of wintering ducks, rails, herons and other birds. Cinnamon Teal, Mexican Duck, Sora and the brilliant Vermilion Flycatcher are among the species we may encounter.

As we make our way south toward Green Valley, we may make additional stops depending on recent sightings and local bird activity. Night in Green Valley.

Today we explore the beautiful Santa Rita Mountains and Madera Canyon, one of southeastern Arizona’s classic birding destinations. The oak, sycamore and pine woodlands of these Sky Islands support a wonderful collection of Sierra Madrean birds, and we’ll search for Mexican Jay, Arizona and Acorn Woodpeckers, Bridled Titmouse, Painted Redstart and Hepatic Tanager.

The feeders around Santa Rita Lodge are particularly productive. Here we may encounter several forms of Dark-eyed Junco, including Oregon, Pink-sided and Gray-headed, alongside the distinctive Yellow-eyed Junco. Rivoli’s Hummingbird is another sought-after species, while nearby trails offer opportunities for Red-naped Sapsucker, Townsend’s Warbler and other woodland birds.

Before or after our time in the canyon, we may visit productive birding sites around Green Valley for Costa’s and Broad-billed Hummingbirds, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Abert’s Towhee and Gambel’s Quail.

Occasionally, a Coppery-tailed Trogon remains in southeastern Arizona for the winter, and if one is being seen locally we may have a chance to search for this spectacular species. Night in Green Valley.

Water is a magnet for birds in southeastern Arizona, and we’ll begin the day exploring wetlands, ponds and desert habitats in the Santa Cruz Valley. Canoa Ranch and other productive sites can hold an excellent variety of wintering waterfowl and sparrows, with possibilities including Cinnamon Teal, Mexican Duck, Lark Bunting, Rufous-winged Sparrow and Green-tailed Towhee. Greater Roadrunner and Pyrrhuloxia are among the other southwestern specialties we may encounter.

Continuing south, exploring areas where mesquite, riparian woodland and open water support an impressive diversity of birds. Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet is an uncommon but regular possibility, while Black-throated Sparrow, Vermilion Flycatcher and a variety of grebes and ducks may also be present.

Winter birding in southeastern Arizona can be wonderfully unpredictable, so we may adjust our route to take advantage of current sightings and local bird activity. By late afternoon we arrive in the bird-friendly town of Patagonia. Night in Patagonia.

We’ll spend the morning exploring Patagonia and its surrounding foothills and riparian habitats. The area regularly attracts interesting winter visitors, and depending on current sightings we may search for occasional rarities such as Rufous-backed Robin.
A highlight will be a visit to the Tucson Bird Alliance’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds, one of southeastern Arizona’s best-known birding sites. Feeders and gardens provide excellent opportunities for Violet-crowned, Broad-billed and Anna’s Hummingbirds, while Lazuli Bunting, Canyon Towhee and a variety of sparrows and finches may also be present.

Later we’ll explore the expansive grasslands around Sonoita. Here we’ll search for wintering open-country birds such as Chihuahuan Meadowlark, Mountain Bluebird and Chestnut-collared Longspur. Baird’s Sparrow is a particularly sought-after but elusive winter visitor, and finding one can require patience and a little luck.
We’ll also keep watch for wintering raptors and for Pronghorn roaming across the rolling grasslands. Night in Patagonia.

Leaving Patagonia, we begin our journey east toward the Chiricahua Mountains, birding along the way through southeastern Arizona’s grasslands, desert scrub and riparian habitats.

We’ll explore the San Pedro Valley, where cottonwood woodlands and surrounding mesquite support Green-tailed and Spotted Towhees, woodpeckers and a variety of wintering songbirds. Western Screech-Owl is another possibility where known roost sites are occupied.

We then continue to Whitewater Draw, home to one of the great spectacles of winter birding in Arizona. Thousands of Sandhill Cranes gather around this wetland complex, their calls filling the air as flocks move between feeding and roosting areas. Snow Geese are also often present, sometimes with smaller Ross’s Geese mixed among them.

The surrounding agricultural fields, grasslands and Chihuahuan Desert offer further opportunities for open-country birds and raptors. Bendire’s Thrasher, Prairie Falcon, Ferruginous Hawk and Sagebrush Sparrow are among the species we’ll keep watch for as we continue east toward the Chiricahuas. Night in Portal.

Few places in North America are as spectacular as Cave Creek Canyon. The tiny village of Portal sits at the entrance to the canyon on the eastern side of the magnificent Chiricahua Mountains and is surrounded by an extraordinary variety of habitats.

We’ll spend the day exploring Portal, local bird-feeding stations and the oak-sycamore woodlands of Cave Creek Canyon. Around the village and lower slopes we may encounter Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, Curve-billed and Crissal Thrashers, Green-tailed Towhee and Scaled Quail.

The area’s feeders provide wonderful opportunities for close views of southwestern birds. Blue-throated Mountain-gem is one of the specialties we’ll hope to encounter; a small number regularly winter around Portal and Cave Creek Canyon.

As we work our way into the canyon, we enter beautiful oak, sycamore and pine woodland. Mexican Jays, Arizona Woodpeckers, Bridled Titmice, Painted Redstarts, Red-naped Sapsuckers and Yellow-eyed Juncos are among the birds we may encounter, while Black-chinned Sparrow is another possibility. Night in Portal.

We’ll spend our final morning in the Chiricahua Mountains, with our exact plans depending on weather and road conditions. If access allows, we may climb into the higher-elevation conifer forests, where we’ll search for Mexican Chickadee, Steller’s Jay and Pygmy Nuthatch. Townsend’s Solitaire is another possibility, although its winter abundance varies considerably from year to year.

We then begin our journey back toward Tucson, birding through the Chihuahuan Desert and agricultural country along the way. This open landscape can be excellent for wintering raptors and desert birds, with possibilities including Ferruginous Hawk, Sage and Bendire’s Thrashers, Sagebrush Sparrow and Chihuahuan Raven. Golden Eagle is an occasional bonus.

Our final major stop will be in the Willcox area, where we will look for large numbers of wintering waterfowl and Sandhill Cranes. Snow and Ross’s Geese may also be present, along with shorebirds, sparrows and sometimes impressive flocks of Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

After a final afternoon of birding, we return to Tucson for our farewell dinner. Night in Tucson.