Ferruginous Hawk. Photo by Raven Bifrost.

Ferruginous Hawk. Photo by Raven Bifrost

Southern Arizona has some of the best bird-watching areas in the world. People come here from all over to see many rare species not found in other areas.

Following are our suggestions for where to find the best birding spots. Most of these areas have confirmed sightings of more than 200 species of birds. Some have as many as 300. Generally, they are located along streams & rivers or in forested mountain canyons.

Just to get you started, you might want to watch the short video we created featuring John Ashley’s fine bird photographs.

Note: Birding hotspots are generally located in wild places. Some will have nearby lodging, but few if any will have nearby restaurants or grocery stores. So plan accordingly. Take your own food and drinks! Click here for a list of Birding Festivals and Websites.

You can find a list of Recommended Birding Books here.

Here is a MAP of the 10 BEST BIRDING SPOTS. Highlight any spot and click on the link to see more about the area. Below that, click on READ MORE and you will find information about individual birding areas that we recommend.


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