Arizona Bird Call

Report on California Condor deaths from bird flu along the Arizona-Utah border. A report on a proposal by conservationists to have a wildlife corridor along the outflow of the Agua Fria River near Glendale and Peoria designated the McMicken Dam Conservation Area. A summary of research on how Cooper's Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks co-exist in backyard ecosystems.  Bird of the episode: Mexican...

Insomnia keeping you awake at night? Or is it that Northern Mockingbird rattling away outside the bedroom window? You are not alone. Louie Dombrowski at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds has the scoop.  And, a deep dive into the difference between precocial and altricial birds; why some are off and running the moment they are born while others stay in the nest for weeks before fledging.  Bird of t...

An article from Desert Rivers Audubon Magazine on how to turn your Arizona backyard landscape into a bird oasis. Introducing new Southwest Audubon Policy Manager Sam Draper and new Rio Salado Audubon Center director Daniel Roper-Jones. Bird of the episode: Common Gallinule. Birding Hotspot: Aubrey Peak Wilderness. Friend-of-Wildlife: ConservationJobBoard.com. Calendar of bird friendly events comin...

White Mountain Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count report. Get to know the Bill's Vireo. A description of Arizona's Important Bird Area (IBA) program. Bird of the episode: Ferruginous Hawk. Birding Hotspot: Sulphur Springs Valley in southeastern Arizona. Friend of wildlife organization: Northland Pioneer College. Calendar of bird friendly events coming up in days ahead.

Western Water News update on drought conditions in western North America. Tucson Audubon launches program to offer its expertise to organizations looking for interesting programs pertaining to wildlife conservation and protection. An overview of the Bird Buddy Hummingbird monitor. Bird of the episode: Forster's Tern. Birding Hotspot: Big Horn Mountain Wilderness. Friend of Wildlife: Arizona D...

A report on Audubon lobbying for bird conservation and preservation at the Arizona state capital. A report on a California legislative proposal to save and clean up the Salton Sea, a critical migratory bird stopover in California. An overview of the federal Wilderness Area program. Bird of the episode: Gilded Flicker. Birding hotspot: Kanab Creek Wilderness. Friend of wildlife organization: Southe...

Report on a July 2022 ABA birding tour of the Santa Cruz River basin and surrounding area. A report on early spring birds spotted at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds near Tucson. Northern Arizona Audubon is recruiting bluebird nest box monitors. Bird of the episode: Eurasian Collared Dove. Birding hotspot: Santa Cruz County, AZ. Friend of Wildlife: South Mountain Community College. Calendar of bi...

Who - or what - is 'decapitating' beautiful Saguaro cacti in southeastern Arizona? Hint: it's a bird. A Tucson birder now spending part of the year at Pinetop-Lakeside describes his experience discovering new birds and birding hotspots along the Mogollon rim. Bird of the episode: Clark's Nutcracker. Birding Hotspot: Lyman Lake State Park. Friend-of-wildlife organization: Easter...

A report published by the Washington Post earlier this month on the decision by the National Audubon Society to keep its name after years of controversy surrounding John James Audubon's legacy as a slave owner and anti-abolitionist. A number of regional Audubon Society chapters have vowed to shed Audubon's name from their titles. Bird of the week: Chestnut-sided Warbler. Birding hotspot,...

Followup on preparing nest boxes for the spring and summer nesting season. Update on the legendary thrasher spot at Baseline Road and Salome Highway west of Phoenix. Bird of the episode: Bushtit. Birding hotspot: Mule Mountains wilderness in southeastern Arizona. Friend of wildlife agency: Merriam-Powell Research Station at Northern Arizona University. Calendar of bird friendly events coming up in...

Update on Avian Influenza currently spreading across North America. Scientists are reporting wild bird kills on an unprecedented scale, and that the virus has moved to mammals. The report titled 'Eagles are Falling, Bears are Going Blind' was posted recently on the website of The Atlantic magazine.  Bird of the episode: Common Ground Dove. Birding hotspot: Concho Lake in northeastern Ari...

An overview of funding opportunities for scholarships and conservation activities available from the Northern Arizona Audubon Society. A description of the wildlife viewing station at the Apache electric power generating station in the Sulphur Valley, Cochise County. Bird of the episode: the Chipping Sparrow. Birding hotspot: Hellsgate Wilderness in the Tonto Creek basin. Friend of Wildlife organi...

News of scholarships available to students pursuing careers in environmental services. A blogger's report on December birding along the Santa Cruz Flats. Bird of the episode: Cassin's Kingbird. Birding hotspot: Show Low/Pinetop Lakeside area. Friend of Wildlife organization: University of Arizona Project Wet. Calendar of bird friendly events coming up in Arizona.

Arizona winter birding update and advice on preparing nest boxes for spring nesting along the Mogollon Rim from White Mountain Audubon President Mary Williams. Audubon's Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch has announced its popular 'Living Gently on the Land' potluck dinner series is back. A brief look at recent postings to the American Birding Association's Arizona-New Mexico bir...

Report on a newly discovered hybrid: Rose-breasted Grosbeak by Scarlet Tanager. Why feeding Mule Deer, Elk, Moose and other snow-bound Cervidae  corn, hay and other summer forage can kill them. Results of the May 2022 Global Big Day in Arizona. Bird of the episode: California Gull. Birding hotspot: Dankworth Pond State Park near Safford. Friend of Wildlife organization: Arizona Heritage Fund. Cale...

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to continue exemption of pesticide-coated seeds from ban draws objections from many wildlife conservation organizations and other stakeholders. A report on why leaving dead trees and columnar cacti in place is important for many species of birds. A look at Eared Grebes, common in Arizona in winter but often overlooked by birders. Bird of the episode:...

A report on Arizona Game and Fish Commission's new 10-year Conservation Strategy. Southwest Audubon's conservation and watershed protection priorities for the 2023 Arizona state legislative session. A report on a proposal by an Israeli company to build a massive desalination project in Mexico that would sell drinking water to Arizona. Bird of the episode: Broad-billed Hummingbird. Birdin...

Federal Bureau of Land Management announces cattle grazing will be allowed to continue on grazing allotments in the San Pedro River basin. A number of conservation organizations have filed suit to force BLM to reconsider. Madera Canyon, one of Arizona's premier birding hotspots, was recently spotlighted in a Desert Leaf Magazine feature story. We'll read that article. Bird of the episode...

Update on Christmas Bird Count and other recent birder reports across Arizona from the American Birding Association. AZ Gov. Doug Ducey announcement of his most recent nomination to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. A look at 'birding out Wickenburg Way. Bird of the episode: Clark's Grebe. Birding hotspot: Hummingbird Springs Wilderness in extreme western Maricopa County. Friend-of-w...

Western states scramble to avoid Colorado River's Lake Powell becoming a 'dead pool.' Greater Phoenix Area Aquatic Bird Survey coming January 21. Volunteer observers needed. A November birding field trip report by White Mountain Audubon. Bird of the episode: Chimney Swift. Birding hotspot: Kofa Wilderness in western Arizona. Friend of wildlife organization: Southern Arizona Forest F...

Birds turning up in early Christmas Bird Count observations by top birders: an update. New federal legislation passed by Congress takes aim at conserving, restoring Great Salt Lake and other saline water bodies critical to migrating birds. A report on a study that supports other research indicating birdwatching is good for the brain. Bird of the week: Cassin's Vireo. Birding hotspot: Hell&apo...

Results of the 2022 Greater Phoenix Area Aquatic Bird Count, and a call for volunteers to contribute to the 2023 survey coming January 21. An introduction to the often maligned Desert Mistletoe. Spoiler alert: it is NOT a weed. Bird of the week: Canyon Towhee. Birding Hotspot: Kendrick Mountain Wilderness in northern Arizona. Friend-of-wildlife organization: Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Area no...

A report on rare waterbird and shorebird sightings on Lake Pleasant and other lakes and ponds across Arizona. Exciting bird sightings at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds. Bald eagle nesting season is underway; tips from AZGFD on how to avoid disturbing nests and nestlings. A report on how Scott's Oriole got its name. Bird of the episode: Brewer's Sparrow. Birding hotspot: Roper Lake Sta...

An update on shorebird surveys conducted recently across Arizona. Hybrids: what are they and how common are they in Arizona? Bird of the episode: Buff-breasted Flycatcher. Birding hotspot: Chevelon Canyon Wildlife Management Area. Friends of wildlife organization: Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.

A review of Haikubox, a new bird ID audio capture tool that serves as a 24/7 wildlife cam for birders. Haikubox can be installed anywhere and monitored from a smartphone from anywhere. Bird of the episode: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Birding hotspot: Arrastra Mountain Wilderness south of Kingman, Arizona. Friend of wildlife organization: University of Arizona. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up...