Arizona Important Bird Areas Program

07/17/2025

Elegant Trogon survey results.

A new record low count of 31 Elegant Trogons was documented in the May 2025 survey of five Southeast Arizona mountain ranges. The Atascosa Highlands had one male, the Patagonia Mountains had four males, and the Santa Ritas had five males and one female. Further east, in the Huachucas we counted 15 total Elegant Trogons and five in the Chiricahuas. For reference, the Huachucas typically have around 50, so 15 is quite a decline. We are planning summer follow-up surveys to see if more trogons arrive with the monsoon season. Stay tuned for what we find.

The detailed 2025 results are here: aziba.org/?page_id=4141

Learn more about trogon data trends over the years at tucsonbirdalliance.blogspot.com/2024/11/elegant-trogons-respond-to-rainfall-in.html

Photo by Elizabeth Weintraub

02/25/2025

12/10/2024

Excellent way to enjoy Upper Santa Cruz River Important Bird Area!

Hiking to the river? Well, guess what. The mighty Santa Cruz has done it again. The river channel is now thirty yards west of where it has flowed for years.

The trail out to the river behind the Tumacácori mission church will lead you to a new and wonderful scene. The river is meandering through the yellow leaves of the cottonwoods, presenting a very seasonal look.

The river almost always appears docile and gently flowing, and yet without flood or even rain, it changes course and carves a new channel, creating new habitat.

At YOUR park you have a chance to see and study nature at its best. Come on in and visit one of the best parks in your own backyard.

11/14/2024

Several of Arizona's Important Bird Areas are featured in this episode of Trail Mix’d from Arizona PBS. Riparian areas are vital habitat within our arid region for many wildlife species. No wonder many are designated IBAs! Come explore them with this linked episode.

Discover Arizona's rare riparian zones, their unique wildlife and ways to help preserve these Arizona hiking trails, vital habitats within a desert.

07/18/2024

If you encounter Desert Purple Martins at saguaros this summer, you can report them via iNaturalist. This really helps out the Desert Purple Martin project! More info about these birds and the project at https://tucsonaudubon.org/purplemartin/

06/06/2024

Help Us Locate Desert Purple Martins!

Help Us Locate Desert Purple Martins!
The Desert Purple Martin, a subspecies of Purple Martin, have recently returned to prime Sonoran Desert habitat to nest in saguaro cavities. If you see Purple Martins at or near a saguaro, please let us know! We have found over 200 nesting saguaros since 2020 and you can help us find more. You can also join our Desert Purple Martin team this summer and help with additional fun work!

We have two types of activities we need help with:
- Saguaro searching: Visiting areas where Desert Purple Martins have been reported and trying to located exactly which saguaro and nesting hole they are using.
- Nest Monitoring: Use endoscope cameras and extending poles to check inside saguaro holes. We'll teach you how! For both activities you must be in good physical shape and able to walk over rough desert terrain.

Learn more about the Desert Purple Martin project, sign up for teams, or report birds and saguaros here: tucsonaudubon.org/purplemartin Thank you!

Purple Martin in saguaro nest cavity, Grigory Heaton

02/29/2024

Longspur surveys in the grasslands of Arizona!

01/11/2024

Many birders will be heading to Willcox for the Wings Over Willcox festival this weekend with wintering Sandhill Cranes as the star bird everyone wants to see. There are two Global Important Bird Areas in this region designated specifically for Sandhill Cranes. The Willcox Playa/Cochise Lakes IBA and the Whitewater Draw IBA. If you can't make it down this winter, you can still see the cranes with Arizona Game & Fish Department's live crane cam here: https://www.azgfd.com/wildlife-conservation/wildlife-viewing/wildlife-live-cams/live-sandhill-crane-cam/
📸: Lois Manowitz

10/25/2023

Celebrate the Las Cienegas Global Important Bird Area with us on November 4th!

Did you know that the Bureau of Land Management portions of the Research Ranch are included in the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (NCA)?

While the Ranch has been its own (IBA) since 2004, the larger chunk of the NCA to our north was not identified until 2017. Much like the Ranch, the IBA boasts five of the rarest habitat types in the state – cienegas, cottonwood-willow forests, sacaton grasslands, mesquite bosque, and semi-desert grasslands.

On November 4th at 10am, join Tucson Audubon Society, the Arizona Important Bird Areas Program, Audubon Southwest, and others in celebrating this IBA with a well-deserved dedication event! The celebration will be held during the NCA’s annual Cowboy Festival – so there will be lots going on all weekend.

- Learn more about the IBA here: https://aziba.org/?page_id=2358

- Learn more about Las Cienegas NCA’s Cowboy Festival here: https://www.empireranchfoundation.org/ranch-events/cowboy-festival/

Empire Ranch Foundation Bureau of Land Management - Arizona Arizona Game & Fish Department BirdLife International

10/24/2023

Come help us celebrate the Las Cienegas Global Important Bird Area on Saturday Nov 4 @ 10am. We will be at the Cowboy Festival event at Las Cienegas NCA at the Empire Ranch Headquarters north of Sonoita, AZ. There will lots going on at Cowboy Days all weekend!

09/14/2023

The Chiricahua Mountains Global Important Bird Area (IBA) was dedicated September 10 as part of the Portal Heritage Days event. Program coordinator Jennie MacFarland gave a talk on owls of the Chiricahuas and the following morning led a bird walk that culminated in the IBA dedication event in South Fork, Cave Creek Canyon. This area was established as an IBA in 2003 and then formally designated a Global IBA in 2009 due to its abundance of Mexican Spotted Owl nesting pairs. These owls are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act and the Chiricahua Mountains IBA meets the threshold criteria to be recognized as a site of global significance. There was a great turnout from the Portal community and we are so grateful to all who came out to help up celebrate this excellent habitat that supports over 300 bird species within one of the most beautiful Sky Islands in Southeast Arizona. Thank you!

Audubon Southwest
Chiricahua Regional Council
Friends of Cave Creek Canyon (FOCCC)

08/01/2023

A live stream web cam has been set up on an active nesting saguaro for Desert Purple Martins in Tucson. Turns out there are two nests in this saguaro! I only noticed the second when watching the cam 😆. If you don't have a chance to go out into the desert and see them yourself, you can see them virtually 😄

Desert Purple Martin Cam Watch Desert Purple Martins at their nesting saguaro during this 2023 monsoon season! There are currently two active nests in this giant saguaro. See the photo below for the specific cavities. To enter full screen, click the full screen icon in the video. Questions or commen...