Arizona Bird Call

A report on Swinhoe's White-eye, a small Asian songbird that has become established in parts of California and may be headed for Arizona and other parts of North America as well. Bird of the episode: the Neotropic Cormorant. Birding hotspot: Alamo Lake State Park. Friend of wildlife: Animal Defense League of Arizona.

A report on the domestication of the American Turkey whose origins date back nearly 1,000 years in the four-corners region of the Southwest where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah come together. Indigenous people known as Anisazi are known to have domesticated birds. They predated the Aztecs who are often credited with domesticating the turkey. Bird of the episode: Arizona Woodpecker. Birding hotspot: Watson and Willow Lake IBA, Prescott. Friends of wildlife: Center for Nature and Place at Prescott College.

A perspective on how smartphone bird detection software may diminish the birding experience for some birders. A report by Arizona Game and Fish Department on the lack of Chronic Wasting Disease on the Arizona deer population. The disease is known to be an issue throughout the Southwest, but not here in Arizona. Bird of the episode: Black-headed Grosbeak. Birding hotspot: Mogollon Rim Snowmelt Draw. Friend of wildlife: Central Arizona Chapter for Conservation Biology.

A report on research indicating that the growing proliferation of hummingbird feeders may be causing evolutionary changes in the length and size of the Anna's Hummingbird bill, perhaps that of other species as well. Bird of the episode: Lark Sparrow. Birding hotspot: San Rafael Grasslands in southern Arizona. Friends of wildlife: Patagonia Area Resource Alliance.

A report by AXIOS/Phoenix on birds that appear to be disappearing from Arizona, among them the official Arizona State bird, the Cactus Wren. News about habitat restoration activity in southeastern Arizona. An update on Northern Arizona Audubon's new MOTUS bird detection station near Flagstaff. Bird of the episode: American Coot. Birding hotspot: Sabino Canyon Tanque Verde ecosystem. Friends of wildlife: Arizona Master Naturalists Development Program.

Research evidence is mounting that hearing bird songs in the wild as well as touching and smelling, even tasting many plants in their natural states is good for human health.  A report on Audubon Southwest's recent water resource tour for Arizona local, state and federal policymakers. Bird of the episode: American Avocet. Birding hotspot: Lower Salt and Gila River ecosystem IBA. Friend of wildlife: Western Field Ornithologists.

Tips and tricks to get the most from your experiences for those new to birding. News from Arizona Game and Fish Department regarding wildlife conservation and welfare. David Allen Sibley on Chickadees. Bird of the episode: Black Phoebe. Birding hotspot: Quigley State Wildlife Management Area. Friend of Wildlife: the Urban Bird Foundation.

New research findings on migratory habits of the Desert Purple Martin, a rare breeder in the deserts of southeastern Arizona, from Jennie McFarland, Bird Conservation Biologist at Tucson Bird Alliance. Bird of the episode: Western Osprey. Birding hotspot: Mittry Lake Wildlife Management Area. Friends of wildlife: Friends of the Santa Cruz River.

A description of how some birds migrate from breeding grounds in extreme North America to wintering grounds in New Zealand and other southern Pacific Ocean regions in one-hop flights of thousands of miles. Some consume their own body organs to fuel those flights, a remarkable evolutionary adaptation. Bird of the episode: Acorn Woodpecker. Birding hotspot: Cave Creek Canyon IBA in estreme eastern Arizona. Friend of wildlife: Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection.

A list of detections of songbirds on our patio on April 28, 2025. Many are migrants passing through while others are regular residents of the Sonoran Desert and  broader Southwestern region of the United States. Kenn Kaufman describes how birds keep themselves clean throughout the year. Bird of the episode: Western Bluebird. Birding hotspot: Yaki Point on the Grand Canyon South Rim. Friend of Wildlife: Superstition Area Land Trust.