Birds of Arizona

A small, uncommon heron, this richly-coloured species is a spring and summer migrant to most of Arizona, with only a small resident population in the far south-east.

The rufous neck feathers and very dark green wings and head cap make it easy to recognise.

This attractive raptor is widespread in the United States, although in central areas it is only a seasonal visitor.  In Arizona, it can be seen year-round in generally wooded habitats.

It closely resembles the Sharp-Shinned Hawk (A. striatus), but has a longer, rounder tail (seen in flight) with a broad, white outer band, straighter wings and a large head.  When perched, the legs are thicker than those of the Sharp-Shinned Hawk, which in Arizona is less common in scrubby desert areas.

This attractive species is a familiar sight in scrubby desert areas and is widespread across southern and western Arizona.  It is very similar to the California Quail (C. californica), which is very rare in Arizona.  Gambel's Quail has a chestnut-coloured cap (in the male) and a pale belly stripe which lacks any markings.

In the Sky Island woodlands of southern Arizona, this is a common and charismatic species.  The male can be recognised by his bright red bill, vivid, dark blue throat  and broad, dark tail.  Unlike most other US hummingbirds, the male almost entirely lacks any white markings on his face.  The most similar is perhaps the Magnificent Hummingbird (see below), which is larger, has a black bill and a green throat.

One of several hummingbird species which can only (just about) be reliably seen in the United States by travelling to southeastern Arizona, the Blue-throated Hummingbird is a summer migrant to montane canyons.  It is a large species (as hummingbirds go...) with a blue throat, a pair of white facial stripes and a rather nondescript green-bronze overall plumage.

This large hummingbird is well-named.  It is a magnificent sight indeed!

The Magnificent Hummingbird is an uncommon visitor to pine-oak woodlands in the sky islands of southeastern Arizona, although it can be quite frequent in favoured spots.

Identiying the male is straightforward - it is a dark bird, with overall very dark green, iridescent foliage and luminous green throat when viewed from the right angle.  The head appears black, with a very small white spot behind the eye.

Females are more tricky to identify, like most hummingbirds!  They have a  white eye stripe and are a paler green with the usual grey underparts.  Females have white tips to the corners of their tale against a green background.

One of the desert southwest's iconic birds, the Gila Woodpecker can be seen across southern Arizona, and is also widespread in western Mexico.

Although similar to the Gilded Flicker and also nesting in cacti (especially tall saguaros), the Gila Woodpecker is easily-identified - it is small than Flickers and has a black back with white barring.  Males sport a small red cap, while females have a yellow patch just behind their legs.

This vividly-patterned woodpecker is a common species in wooded habitats wherever oaks are present.  Unlike some other woodpeckers, it is usually found in small groups rather than singly.  As its name suggests, it is very fond of acorns, which it stores in holes drilled into tree trunks.

The Acorn Woodpecker can be seen in much of central and eastern Arizona, and is also widespread up the west coast of the United States as far as southern Washington.

I only managed a couple of distant views of this species so the photos aren't the best!

The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is a widespread resident across the desert south-west and is especially fond of mesquite woodland and other scrubby, wooded habitats.

It shares the typical black and white striped plumage of several species but can be recognised by its large white cheek patches.  Males have a red cap.

Always found near water, the Vermillion Flycatcher must be one of Arizona's most stunning birds, and it is only here that one can reliably see it in the United States (as well as far south-western Texas).

No other bird shares the vivid red and black plumage of the male.  The female is a much more subdued pale brown colour with a white breast and facial markings.

Text coming soon!

As its name suggests, this is very much a Mexican species with small outposts within the United States, where it occurs in south-eastern Arizona, adjacent New Mexico and the far south-west of Texas.

The Mexican Jay is easy to recognise with its uniformly blue-grey upper parts and pale grey underside.

The striking facial markings of this small bird make it easy to recognise.  The Bridled Titmouse is a woodland species and is a common sight in these habitats in south-eastern and central Arizona.  The only other place this bird can be seen in the United States is in adjacent New Mexico.

A summer visitor to most of the United States, the lovely House Wren is often noticed for its loud, beautiful song.  Seven wren species occur in Arizona, and the House Wren can be recognised by its rather drab, faintly-patterned appearance.  The characteristic pale 'eyebrow' of wrens is especially weak in this species.  Some Arizona birds are more tan-brown coloured underneath, like those in Mexico.

It's a hopeless photo, but the only one I managed to get of this seasonal visitor to Arizona.  As the image shows, it is a rather skulking bird of dense wooded habitats.  Like other gnatcatchers, it has a long black and white tail.  It can be identified by the blue-grey upper parts - other gnatcatchers in Arizona are rather grey-brown above.  Males have a small black patch on their forehead.

Southern Arizona is one of the few parts of the United States to have a year-round population of this widespread thrush, which ranges as far north as Alaska in the summer.  The bold, black chest spots on a white background and a faint facial pattern are the best features for identification.  Swainson's Thrush has smaller, brown spots on a yellowish background.

One of the most striking-looking birds of southern Arizona, this all-black relative of the waxwings is often common wherever its favourite food (mistletoes) occurs.

Males have glossy black plumage with white wing patches visible in flight, while females are a dull grey.

The Yellow Warbler is a very widespread summer migrant to the United States, found as far north as Alaska.  It is a bird of riparian areas and other wet habitats, where it hunts for insects among the foliage.

They are hopeless photos but just about shows the essential features of the bird - bright yellow overall plumage, including the tail.  The bird shown here has plenty of brownish-grey colour on its upper parts and so appears to be an immature bird.

A common summer visitor to much of southern Arizona and adjacent New Mexico, the Painted Redstart is a species of canyons with oak woodland.  It is an active bird with unmistakable plumage and is easy to find in the Sky Islands of Arizona's south-east.

One the most familiar birds to many people in the United States, the Northern Cardinal is primarily an eastern species but can be seen in most of southern Arizona as well.  The male is utterly unmistakable, while the female is a more muted brownish grey, with red plumage restricted to the tail and wings (see second photo).

Very much the desert cousin of the Northern Cardinal, the Pyrrhuloxia has bold grey and red-patterned plumage and yellow bill (both sexes of the Cardinal have a red bill).  The female is similarly-coloured but has a buff-coloured belly without the red stripe and red face.

In Arizona, the Pyrrhuloxia is restricted to the south-east, with the species ranging further east in southern Texas and down into Mexico.

Common across much of southern Arizona, the Canyon Towhee is, despite its name, not especially a canyon-dwelling bird, but one of open, arid habitats.  It can be identified by its pale eye-ring, white patch on its belly and brown cap on its head.  The similar Abert's Towhee has a dark face and very pale bill.  It inhabits riparian areas, unlike the Canyon Towhee.

This aptly-named sparrow is widspread in the American south-west, where it inhabits arid scrub.  The bold black and white striped facial pattern with pale grey wings makes it easy to recognise.  The very rare Five-striped Sparrow has thinner white facial stripes and brown upper parts.

South-eastern Arizona and a tiny part of New Mexico are the only parts of the United States where one can see this essentially Mexican species.  As its name suggests, the yellow eyes and black & yellow bill are reliable ways to identify this species.  It also has more extensive rufous wing feathers than the Dark-eyed Junco.

Found across almost all of North America, the White-crowned Sparrow can be identified by its broad white 'eyebrow' edged with black, topped with a white crown and its pale grey underparts.

Primarily a woodland species, Bullock's Oriole occurs across almost all of Arizona as a summer migrant.  The male can be identified by his intense orange plumage with a black eye stripe and throat.  Females are much more muted in their colours.

With its much more extensive black colouration, Scott's Oriole is an easy species to identify.  The male is yellow in colour, rather than orange like Bullock's Oriole (see above).  It tends to occur in more open habitats and can be seen across almost all of Arizona.

Common across the United States, the House Finch is perefectly at home in the Sonoran Desert, where it roams in flocks in scrubby, wooded habitats in search of seeds and insects.

The House Finch can be identified by its streaked flanks and stubby, strong bill.  Males have a red face and breast, while females are various shades of brown.

A common species of the American south-west, the Lesser Goldfinch is a pretty bird, with bright yellow plumage and a black cap (in the male).  It is a small species and can be seen in partially wooded habitats and scrubby areas.

This distant view is the only one I currently have of this very widespread species.  It favours marshy habitats, as shown here.

Only the males are black - the females are brown with pale streaks.

This small grey warbler is restricted to the desert southwest and is at its most widespread in Arizona.  It favours mesquite (as seen in this photo) and can be identified by its cream-coloured breast, pale face and rufous rump (not seen in this photo).  Its very small size also makes it distinctive in the field.

Text coming soon, pending ID.  If you're able to offer any advice, please get in touch!