by 3 people |
Arizona is the desert mecca for great birding -- so many endemic species. Trogons, hummers, elf owls, cactus wrens. The list goes on and on.
This is a resource guide to birding this diverse state.
The Curious Wren - Your Birding Guide
Let the Curious Wren be your guide to birding.She has a whole series of lenses about birding, bird feeders, field guides, bird books, gifts and equipment.
Some lenses are "How To" lenses.
One part of her series is state-by-state birding guides -- Florida, California and more!
Go to the Curious Wren hub for links to all her lenses.
General Information
- Birding in AZ (Virtual Birder)
- Links to Audubon Societies, Tuscon Rare Bird Alert, and more.
Where to Bird
- USGS Map of Wildlife Refuges
- Handy map of all refuges, plus links to the Web site for each one.
- Hotspots
- This site has information on hotspots, local events and specialty birds.
- SE Arizona Birding Trail
- This page is all about the SE AZ Birding Trail. You can order your copy now!
- SE Arizona
- Squidoo lens by Chris O'Byrne lists birding guides for hire, lodging, and other information about SE Arizona.
- SE AZ Hotspots - Nature Conservancy
- The Nature Conservancy has a page about AZ hotspots in SE Arizona.
- SE Arizona
- Complete guide to birding this area from the folks at the Bird Observatory.
- Where to Bird (from Birding.com)
- Links to parks and other birding sites.
Birding Festivals
- Wings over Willcox
- January 17-20, 2008. Over 27,000 sandhill cranes! Held in Willcox.
- Yuma Birding & Nature Festival
- Yuma. 2008 dates to be announced.
- Verde Valley Birding Festival
- Cottonwood (between Flagstaff and Prescott). 2008 dates to be announced.
- Fiesta De Las Aves - SE AZ
- Southeast AZ locations. Migration festival held in late April/early May by the SE AZ Birding Observatory.
- SW Wings Birding Festival - Bisbee
- Bisbee. The longest running birding festival in AZ. Usually held in early August.
Hummers!
- Hummingbird World
- Terri and Larry Gates of Portal, AZ run this web site. Tons of good info. Seventeen species!
- Hummer watching in SE AZ
- Great information here from the SE AZ Bird Observatory.
Audubon Societies
- Arizona Audubon
- State web site. Links to individual Audubons here.
- Tuscon Audubon
- Newsletter, Events and more.
- Northern AZ
- Serving the Flagstaff area. Has checklists for local areas and a Sightings page.
- Maricopa Audubon (Phoenix)
- Serving the Phoenix area (Maricopa County).
- Huachuca Audubon (Sierra Vista)
- Serving the wonderful Sierra Vista, Patagonia and Sonoita areas. Also the San Pedro Riparian Area. Green kingfisher and elegant trogon country!
- Prescott Audubon
- Serving the Prescott area.
- Sonoran Audubon (Glendale)
- Serving the Glendale area. Field trips listed on this site.
- White Mountain Audubon (Pinetop)
- Serving the Pinetop area.
- Yuma Audubon
- Serving the Yuma area.
Lodging for Birders
- Cave Creek Ranch - Portal, AZ
- Located at the mouth of Cave Creek Canyon and run by knowledgeable birders. Check out their long list of sightings on their Ranch Checklist. This is elegant trogon country!
- SE Arizona
- Lots of places to stay are listed on this site (SE AZ Bird Observatory).
Rare Bird Alert
- SE Arizona Rare Bird Alert
- An up-to-date listing of sightings in SE Arizona, including Tucson.
AZ Field Guides
Birds of Arizona Field Guide
366 pages.
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Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/12/2009) 
National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Arizona/New Mexico
Featuring as many as 175 birds apiece and nearly 300 photographs, illustrations and maps, this handy, informative book adds two Southwestern states to National Geographic's growing series of field guides.
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Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/12/2009)
A Field Guide to Birds of the Desert Southwest (Gulf's Field Guide Series)
323 pages. No reviews yet on Amazon.
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Amazon Price: $17.12 (as of 07/12/2009)
Field Guides -- but not comprehensive
Hummingbirds of North America: The Photographic Guide
This book gets rave reviews from guides in Southeast, AZ - a true hummer mecca. The great photos make this a great field guide.
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Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 07/12/2009)
Birds of the American Southwest
Examines 85 key bird species, including several which are threatened or endangered. This indispensable field guide describes in detail the habitat, field marks, and characteristic behaviors for each species. Birds of the American Southwest also provides birders with useful tips on where to find and observe them in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts and "sky island" mountain ranges of southern Arizona and New Mexico.
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Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 07/12/2009)
50 Common Birds of the Southwest
Handy reference book describes and depicts 50 species commonly found in the Southwest, particularly those occurring in National Park Service areas.
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Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
Phoenix Birds: An Introduction to Familiar Species in Central Arizona
Laminated folding brochure. Not a book. Has 150 species.
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Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 07/12/2009)
Birds of the Southwest
Books about Southwest Birds
Winging It: A Beginner's Guide to Birds of the Southwest
(Not a field guide.) Why are some house finches so red? How do chickadees and nuthatches survive the winter? Where does the great horned owl spend the day? Winging It answers these and other questions about bird behavior. This introductory bird book includes descriptions of forty-two species found in the Southwest, from hummingbirds to bluebirds to sharp-shinned hawks, from birds in your backyard, to birds in the mountain forest or driest desert.
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Amazon Price: $16.95 (as of 07/12/2009)
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Book of Answers
Arising from the most frequent questions directed at the staff of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson (a distinctive combination of zoo, museum, and botanic garden), the book provides answers to 42 basic questions about desert life. The text is divided into three sections on getting to know the desert, the desert as one's backyard, and enjoying the desert. Commonsense answers are provided for such questions as: What exactly is a desert? How can I attract hummingbirds? Are cactus spines poisonous?
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Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 07/12/2009)
Watchable Birds of the Southwest
187 pp. An excellent bird watcher's handbook which examines bird behaviors as well as birdwatching opportunities in the areas.
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Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 07/12/2009)
Cool Gear
National Geographic Birders Journal
A fully illustrated life list, the journal offers generous space for recording dates and locations of bird sightings.
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Swiss Gear Schloss Double Bottle Hydration Fanny Pack
Great for birdwatching -- carry books, water, food. Comes with bottles.
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Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
Vortex Harness Strap
Take the strain off - and get rid of the pain in the neck!
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Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
Bird Watcher's Journal
$24.99. Refills available too (at Amazon). Spiral-bound pages encased in a durable water-resistant cover that zips closed. Holds pen too. Look like a real ornithologist!
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Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
Learn Your Bird Songs
Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Western Region
CD. Western - for birds West of the Rockies.
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Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
The Singing Life of Birds: The Art and Science of Listening to Birdsong
Book that comes with a CD.
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Amazon Price: $18.48 (as of 07/12/2009)
Crazy About Hummers?
- Hummingbirds!
- Check out my lens devoted to hummers -- feeding, identifying, and more.
Hummingbird Feeders
Best-1 32 Ounce Hummingbird Feeder
I own this feeder it's easy to clean. And the flying insects stay away, because they can't get near the nectar. It's great.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
8 oz. Feeder (Bulk)
8 oz. version of the feeder above. I also own this one!
Amazon Price: $24.90 (as of 07/12/2009)
General Field Guides
The Sibley Guide to Birds
The premier field guide -- meticulous and comprehensive.
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Amazon Price: $26.37 (as of 07/12/2009)
Raptors of Western North America: The Wheeler Guides
Rave reviews on this one. "Tour de force and a labor of love, and the immediate new standard for diurnal raptors in western North America. "
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Amazon Price: $40.15 (as of 07/12/2009)
Stokes Beginner's Guide to Birds : Western Region
For birds West of the Rockies.
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Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/12/2009)
A Field Guide to Advanced Birding: Birding Challenges and How to Approach Them (Peterson Field Guides Series)
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Amazon Price: $12.92 (as of 07/12/2009)
More Books
Kingbird Highway: The Story of a Natural Obsession That Got a Little Out of Hand
Ornithologist Kenn Kaufman's humorous account of the year he spent birding (and hitch-hiking) across America at age 19.
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A Hummingbird in My House: The Story of Squeak
The first of Heidcamp's three books about her adoption of a hummer. She hosts the hummer in her house over the winter, and gets to know the bird intimately. Check out her other books too!
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Amazon Price: $14.36 (as of 07/12/2009)
The Art of Pishing: How to Attract Birds by Mimicking Their Calls (Book & Audio CD)
Master birder Pete Dunne explains how to make sounds that bring birds closer, so you can identify them. A valuable skill for any birder.
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Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 07/12/2009)
Birdsong: A Natural History
Why do birds sing? Find out here.
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Amazon Price: $24.00 (as of 07/12/2009)
Tales of a Low-Rent Birder
Dunne's collection of 19 essays and sketches about his adventures chasing birds.
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Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 07/12/2009)
by nancoix
Check out my 30 other lenses. Most are about birding, but also about iPods, kitchen stuff and Trader Joe's.
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