Birding Trip Planning: Essential Tips for Your Adventure

The simple answer is Anytime! It truly depends on your goals and targets for birding in the Southwest. Both Arizona and New Mexico are excellent birding locations, offering great opportunities during nearly every month. Southern Arizona and southwest New Mexico generally have five distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Second Spring, Fall, and Winter; each presenting its own challenges and rewards for bird watchers. Every season also brings unique birding experiences (and weather conditions) - consider the Spring or Fall migration, the Winter raptors and sparrows, the Spring breeding season, and of course, the Summer Monsoon. If you're strictly looking for diversity and numbers of birds, then April through September is probably the 'best' time to visit.

Both Arizona and New Mexico are vast states with diverse bioregions, landforms, elevations, and climates, making them prime destinations for birding in the Southwest. The plant communities range from Desert Scrub to Grasslands to Pine-Oak Sky Islands and Pinyon-Juniper woodlands, as well as Sub-Alpine and Mixed-Conifer Forests. Bird diversity varies significantly across these regions, offering birding locations in Arizona where you can discover species unique to each area. Given the large distances and considerable travel times, where you choose to go birding really hinges on your objectives, goals, available time, and budget. Borderland Birds can help you optimize your time and provide the best birding tips for your adventure. This could mean visiting a handful of birding locations over a long weekend or exploring 20 or more sites during a Multi-Day Tour.

In southern Arizona, Tucson is a major metropolitan area with all modern and major lodging options. Fantastic birding areas exist within Tucson's city limits (e.g., Sweetwater Wetlands) and within a 1.5-hour drive (e.g., Mount Lemmon, Saguaro National Park, Las Cienegas National Conservation Area).

Green Valley (close to Madera Canyon) is a vibrant retirement town south of Tucson with several chain hotels, restaurants, and many private lodging options. Situated along the (dry) Santa Cruz River, Green Valley offers a great location for accessing well known birding hotspots like Madera Canyon, Box Canyon, Florida Canyon, and Montosa Canyon, the (wet) Santa Cruz River at Tubac and Santa Gertrudis Lane, Canoa Ranch Conservation Park, and Pena Blanca Lake.

Tubac and Patagonia are smaller towns with many B&B options and small hotels. Staying at either of these locations puts you right "in" the birding sites that offer both wild landscapes and feeder stations. Major hotspots like Santa Gertrudis Lane, Ron Morriss Park/De Anza Trail at Tubac, Sycamore Canyon, California Gulch, Patagonia Lake State Park, Paton Center for Hummingbirds, Harshaw Creek and the San Rafael Grasslands are within a 1-hour drive.

Sierra Vista is a larger city at the foot of the Huachuca Mountains with major chain hotels plus great lodges, inns, and B&Bs. Amazing areas nearby offer great birding such as those found along the San Pedro River, Ramsey Canyon, Miller Canyon, and the higher elevations of the Huachuca Mountains. World famous bird feeder stations near Sierra Vista include Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Ramsey Canyon Inn B&B, Ramsey Canyon Cabins & Bird Sanctuary, and Beatty's Guest Ranch.

Willcox offers several chain hotels and quick access to Twin Lakes Golf Course/Lake Cochise and Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area, as well as to grasslands, agricultural areas, and the west canyons of the Chiricahua Mountains. And from the small border town of Douglas, you can access the southern portion of the Chiricahua Mountains (e.g., Rucker Canyon), San Bernardino/Leslie Canyon NWR and Slaughter Ranch, and well as Guadalupe Canyon.

The small hamlets of Portal and Paradise in the Chiricahua Mountains have many options for private lodging, camping, and RV parks. The list of amazing birding locations accessible from these towns is too extensive to list here. Amazing scenery and birding abound, as does the number of private residences open to the public for birding at their feeder stations. Here are a few.... Portal (town), Willow Tank, Cave Creek Campgrounds, South Fork Cave Creek, Southwestern Research Station, Onion Saddle, Pinery Canyon, Barfoot Park and Rustler Park.

Several world famous birding destinations offer private lodging such as the Santa Rita Lodge, Madera Kubo B & B, and Chuparosa Inn in Madera Canyon, and the Ramsey Canyon Inn B & B,  Ramsey Canyon Cabins & Bird Sanctuary in Ramsey Canyon, and Casa de San Pedro B & B along the San Pedro River near Sierra Vista.

Here are some additional places that make great launching/landing pads for birding in southern Arizona:

Green Valley, AZ:

Canoa Ranch Golf Resort https://canoaranchgolfresort.com/

Best Western Green Valley Inn https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-green-valley/best-western-green-valley-inn/propertyCode.03152.html

Vagabond Inn Executive https://www.vagabondinn.com/vagabond-inn-executive-green-valley-sahuarita

Tubac, AZ:

Valle Verde Ranch: https://historicvalleverderanch.com/

Tubac Country Inn: https://www.tubaccountryinn.com/

Tubac Golf Resort & Spa: https://azhideawaycollection.com/tubac-golf-resort-spa/

Patagonia, AZ:

Spirit Tree Inn B & B: https://spirittreeinn.com/

Stage Stop Inn: https://stagestoppatagonia.com/

Sierra Vista, AZ:

Beatty's Guest Ranch: http://www.beattysguestranch.com/

Casa de San Pedro B & B: https://bedandbirds.com/

Portal/Paradise, AZ:

Cave Creek Ranch: https://www.cavecreekranch.com/

Portal Cafe Country Store & Lodge: https://www.portallodge.com/

Four Bar Cottages: https://www.fourbarcottages.com/

Quailway Cottage: https://quailwaycottage.com/

The George Walker House: https://www.thegeorgewalkerhouse.com/

Douglas:

The Gadsen Hotel: https://thegadsdenhotel.com/

In southern New Mexico, Deming and Lordsburg offer several chain hotels, while the small town of Silver City (on the edge of the Gila National Forest) offers chain hotels, small motels, and many private lodging options. Las Cruces is a major metropolitan area with chain hotels and many private lodging options.

Birding gear is essential for anyone looking to enjoy birding in the Southwest. Bring along the items you regularly use at home. If you'd like to use your spotting scope for birding locations in Arizona, make sure to pack it (Borderland Birds offers a high-quality spotting scope [Leica Televid 62mm] and a spare set of binoculars).  

Clothing is also important for successful birding. Dress in layers, regardless of the season! Sturdy shoes like lightweight hiking shoes or trail runners are ideal for most occasions. Long, lightweight pants work best for warmer seasons, while thicker hiking or cotton pants are more suitable for cooler weather. Opt for long-sleeve, loose-fitting shirts for summer sun and bug protection; a wide-brimmed hat is recommended for most months (and a warm cap for winter). Don't forget fleece vests and jackets for shoulder seasons, and winter jackets, gloves, and hats when it gets cold.  

Lastly, don't forget your bug spray, sunscreen, and your favorite refillable water bottle to stay hydrated while enjoying the great outdoors!

Arizona: The Arizona Field Ornithologists (AZFO) is an organization of birders and ornithologists dedicated to enhancing the understanding of the changing status, identification, and distribution of Arizona's birdlife. For those interested in birding in the Southwest, their site offers official checklists of Arizona Birds and valuable birding tips: https://www.azfo.org/. New Mexico: The New Mexico Ornithological Society (NMOS) is a nonprofit, volunteer organization committed to gathering and sharing accurate information regarding the bird life of New Mexico. If you're exploring birding locations in Arizona and New Mexico, be sure to visit their site for the official New Mexico checklist and more: https://www.nmbirds.org/

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