The Land of Enchantment has much to offer -- desert birds as well as high-elevation species.
Check out the information here about where to find the birds and how to identify them.
Who Is The Curious Wren?
The Curious Wren - Your Birding GuideLet the Curious Wren be your guide to birding.
She has a whole series of lenses about birding, the best bird feeders, best bird baths, bird books, gifts and equipment.
Some lenses are "How To" lenses.
One part of her series is state-by-state birding guides -- Arizona, Florida, California and more!
Go to the Curious Wren hub for links to all her lenses.
General Information
- NM Birding
- Site has links to all the major parks and wildlife refuges.
- NM Ornithologist's Union
- Official site of the NMOU.
- Map of NM Counties
- Quick reference for NM counties.
Curve-Billed Thrasher
We have a second home in Las Cruces. A pair of curve-billed thrashers seems to be living in our front yard. Here's a photo of one on look-out duty. Where to Bird
- List of Birding Spots - by nearest city
- This web site (from the REDTT or Rural Economic Development Through Tourism) gives brief descriptions of bird hotspots -- listed alphabetically according to nearest town. Provides directions too. A good place to start!
- NM Bird Finding Guide
- For $20, you can buy this book from the NM Ornithologist's Union.
- NM Hot Spots
- Web site includes: Checklist, Local Events, Tours/Guides, Rare Bird Alerts, Specialty Birds, and Maps.
- SE New Mexico Birding
- Covers the following counties: Chaves, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln and Roosevelt.
Provides information and links to all the good birding spots.
Birding Trails, Parks, Refuges
- SW New Mexico Birding Trail
- Kind of a misnomer, as this trail includes areas near Silver City, Truth or Consequences, Las Cruces as well as the SW.
PDFs of each area found on this site, along with maps and checklists. - NW New Mexico Birding Trail
- In the Santa Fe / Los Alamos area.
- Silver City Birding Loop
- A nice outline for a trip for Silver City up through the Gila National Forest, through Lake Roberts, to the Gila National Monument.
- Bosque Del Apache
- NM's premier birding site, in Soccoro, just south of Albuquerque. Over 57,000 acres. This is the official U.S. gov't web site.
- Friends of the Bosque del Apache
- Site of the Friends of the Bosque, with events and calendar.
NM Field Guides
National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Arizona/New Mexico (NG Field Guide to Birds)
Covers two states (AZ and NM) and 175 species. Includes 300 photos and a map of hotspots.
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Amazon Price: $11.21 (as of 08/21/2008)
Birds of New Mexico Field Guide
Covers 140 species. 360 pages.
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Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 08/21/2008)
New Mexico Birds: An Introduction to Familiar Species
Not a book, but a handy laminated brochure. Great for beginners.
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Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 08/21/2008)
Birds of the Southwest
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: $11.90 (as of 08/21/2008)
50 Common Birds of the Southwest
For the more casual observer -- provides 50 common species.
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Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 08/21/2008)
Birds of the American Southwest
80 pp. Includes over 85 key species. 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: $11.01 (as of 08/21/2008)
Birds of the Trans-Pecos (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)
216 pgs. For SE New Mexico and El Paso area -- everything west of the Pecos River in TX. Designed for intermediate to advanced birders, this book provides an annotated checklist of all 482 species found in the region. The species accounts include seasonal distribution, documentation of nesting, most likely habitat, and the bird's status as a "Texas Review Species." The authors also describe the geography and bird habitats of the Trans-Pecos; federal and state parklands in the area (including Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains), with the species that occur in each; and the mountain-breeding birds and species of special interest.
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Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 08/21/2008)
Festivals
- Hummingbird Festival
- In Lake Roberts, NE of Silver City. To be held July 22-23, 2007.
See the link below to New Mexico Hummingbirds for more information. - Festival of the Cranes
- At Bosque Del Apache. Nov. 13-18, 2007. This is the 20th Anniversary Year!
New Mexico Hummingbirds
- NM Hummingbirds
- Joan Day-Martin is one of the 150 licensed hummingbird banders in the country. She has created a non-profit organization which holds events and provides information about hummers.
The Hummingbird Festival will be held July 22-23, 2007 in Lake Roberts.
Rare Bird Alert & Hotline
- RBA and Hotline
- The NM Ornithologist's Union has a web page with the latest rare sightings.
You can also report rarities at the number given here.
Audubon Societies
- NM Audubon - State Site
- The official Audubon NM site.
- Central NM (Albuquerque area)
- Newsletter, Field Trips and Resources.
- Sangre de Cristo (Santa Fe)
- Northern New Mexico: representing Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Española, Taos, Las Vegas, and other communities.
Newsletter, Field Trips and Event Calendar. - Mesilla Valley (Las Cruces area)
- Newsletter, Field Trips and other Links.
- Silver City Audubon
- Serving communities in four counties; the Town of Silver City, Deming, Lordsburg, Glenwood, Cliff, Reserve, the Mimbres Valley, and the Gila National Forest.
Newsletter, Education and Photo Gallery. - Lincoln County Bird Club (Ruidoso area)
- Not an Audubon, but a birding club with many activities.
- El Paso / Trans Pecos
- A short drive from Las Cruces, El Paso has some good birding spots, like Feather Lake and Franklin Mountains State Park.
Checklist of Birds
- Checklist of NM Birds
- Web version of checklist from NM Ornithologist's Union.
Lodging for Birders
- Spirit Canyon Lodge - Lake Roberts
- This lodge caters to birders! And it's located in one of the best areas of the state.
- Inn of the Mountain Gods (Ruidoso)
- Why not enjoy the best? This stunning hotel is one of NM's finest.
Ruidoso is adjacent to Lincoln National Forest and is on a major flyway. - Shadow Mountain Lodge - Ruidoso
- Enjoy the songbird and hummers on their professionally landscaped grounds.
- Lodging near Bosque Del Apache
- List of motels and RV parks near Socorro.
Web Sites of Individual NM Birders
- Jerry R. Oldenettel (Socorro)
- This avid birder (who lives in the Rio Grande Valley) has an enviable yard list -- over 200 species!
- Bill West - Birding Guide
- Bill has been leading birding tours since 1980. Based in Santa Fe.
Other New Mex Books
100 Hikes in New Mexico (100 Hikes in) 2nd Edition
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Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 08/21/2008)
Winging It: A Beginner's Guide to Birds of the Southwest
Not a field guide, but a good book for beginners.
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Amazon Price: $16.95 (as of 08/21/2008)
More Guides
The Sibley Guide to Birds
The highly acclaimed guide to US Birds.
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Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 08/21/2008)
Hummingbirds of North America: The Photographic Guide
This book gets rave reviews from guides in Southeast AZ. The great photos make this a superb field guide.
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Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 08/21/2008)
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: $38.61 (as of 08/21/2008)
MORE BIRD STUFF from The Curious Wren
Check Out My Other Lenses
Great Birdbaths and Fountains -- a nice selection of practical baths, drippers, fountains and accessories.
Hummingbirds! -- Facts, feeders, books and fun merchandise for hummer lovers.
Bird Shirts and Hats -- Shirts and hats featuring wild birds!
DVD
Learn Your Bird Songs!
Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song
$27. Book has built-in audio player - hear the song as you study the bird! 250 species and corresponding songs. Also has "lavish full-color illustrations."
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Amazon Price: $29.70 (as of 08/21/2008)
Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Western Region (Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs)
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Amazon Price: $23.09 (as of 08/21/2008)
Music of the Birds: A Celebration of Bird Song
Book and CD combo by Lang Elliott, one of the leading nature photographers and sound recordists.
He examines bird song from 2 perspectives - scientific and aesthetic. Provides scientific information about bird vocalizations, but also discusses the beauty of bird song and its influence on poets.
Fantastic photos in the book. CD has 50 bird songs. Complex songs are explained - and even slowed down so that we can hear the intricacy involved.
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Amazon Price: $16.50 (as of 08/21/2008)
Great Gear
Swiss Gear Schloss Double Bottle Hydration Fanny Pack
Great for birdwatching -- carry books, water, food. Comes with bottles.
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Audubon 100 Harness Strap
Take the strain off - and get rid of the pain in the neck!
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Amazon Price: $20.35 (as of 08/21/2008)
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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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: $26.99 (as of 08/21/2008)
Great Feeders
Droll Yankees YCPW180 Whipper Bird Feeder, Dark Blue
My #1 pick for a sunflower seed feeder. Totally squirrel-proof. LIfetime guarantee.
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Amazon Price: $82.41 (as of 08/21/2008)
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. Comes in small 8 oz. version too.
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Amazon Price: $12.19 (as of 08/21/2008)
Duncraft 1744 Champion Squirrel Blocker Platform Feeder
I own this one too, and the squirrels cannot reach the seeds.
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Amazon Price: $59.95 (as of 08/21/2008)
