2014 Arizona Official State Visitor Guide - (Page 18)
right Searching
for the Mexican
chickadee in
Chiricahua National
Monument.
Nearly
300 species of
birds have been
recorded in the
Patagonia-Sonoita
Creek Preserve.
fa r right
Wings Over
Willcox Birding
& Nature Festival
celebrates the
magnificent
sandhill crane.
BE LOW
WinGS OVer WillcOx BirdinG & nAture FeStiVAl
started cataloguing its avian life in
lifers while
1889. You can log some
learning about the area's charismatic
landscape and birdlife at the Verde
Valley Birding and Nature Festival
held in May at Dead Horse Ranch
State Park near Cottonwood.
Arizona's longest-running birding
and nature festival-and counted
among the nation's best-takes place
in the city of Sierra Vista in early August. The Southwest Wings Birding & Nature Festival shows off the
area's huge diversity. Flora and fauna
converge here from the Rocky and
Sierra Madre mountains and the Sonoran and Chihuahan deserts, so
your chances for a rare sight are big.
In the fall and winter, you can join a
tour to spot winter migrants with the
nonprofit Southeastern Arizona Bird
Observatory (SABO) group.
In the latter days of autumn, tens of
thousands of sandhill cranes and snow
geese migrate from the continent's northern reaches to the Willcox Playa, located
near the city of Willcox in the Sulphur
Springs Valley. The Wings Over Willcox
Birding & Nature Festival celebrates the
wondrous seasonal event in January. You
can also brush up on your little brown jobs
(LBJs) and birds of prey
(BOPs), since
20 species of sparrows and 15 species of
raptors winter in the valley, too.
BIRDING FESTIVALS & GUIDED BIRD WALKS
Along Queen Creek, which flows among the ruddy rhyolite cliffs in Central Arizona, Boyce
Thompson Arboretum near Superior provides a superb environment for 250 different
species- megaticks included. Take an early morning guided bird walk or follow one of
the self-guided paths that wind through native and exotic vegetation.
The Greater Phoenix area becomes a winged wonderland each winter, when thousands
of migrating and resident birds gather in the metropolitan area's parks and riparian habitats. Stick around into the spring migration for Avondale's Tres Rios Nature & Earth Festival in March. It's a great way to learn about the three rivers (Gila, Salt and Agua Fria) of
the region and the birds they attract, to climb aboard for a guided wildlife-viewing canoe
trip, or to get tips from an expert on how to distinguish between sparrow species.
Birds flock to the handful of Fremont cottonwood-Goodding's willow forests in the
state. The Verde River habitat has hosted 340 different species since Dr. Edgar Mearns
18 Arizona 2014 Official State Visitor's Guide
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2014 Arizona Official State Visitor Guide
2014 Arizona Official State Visitor Guide
Arizona State Map
Contents
Tribal Land Adventures
The Margarita Menu
The Skies Have It
Presidential Arizona
A State of Culture
Statewide Calendar of Events
Phoenix & Central Arizona
• Regional Map
• Resource Guide
• Activities & Attractions Listings
• Accommodations
• RV Parks
• Golf Courses
Tucson & Southern Arizona
• Regional Map
• Resource Guide
• Activities & Attractions Listings
• Golf Courses
• RV Parks
• Accommodations
Northern Arizona
• Regional Map
• Resource Guide
• Activities & Attractions Listings
• RV Parks
• Accommodations
Arizona’s West Coast
• Regional Map
• Resource Guide
• Activities & Attractions Listings
• Accommodations
• RV Parks
North Central Arizona
• Regional Map
• Resource Guide
• Activities & Attractions Listings
• Accommodations
• Golf Courses
Arizona Visitor Centers
Smart Traveler
Arizona Mileage Ironwood Map
2014 Arizona Official State Visitor Guide
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