Arizona Bird Call

Kenn Kaufman, Field Editor at Audubon Magazine, notes recent changes regarding bird names and species differentiation by the American Ornithological Society. White Mountain Audubon Society board member Suzy Walker discusses Birdcast, an online tool for tracking birds in migration across Arizona. Sarah King, rancher and Nature Conservancy board member describes investments in water conservation underway in the Altar Valley south of Tucson. Tucson Audubon Society's Matt Griffiths describes Vaux's Swift, a high-flying, often overlooked songbird found in Arizona. Bird of the episode: Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Birding hotspot: Cochise Stronghold National Monument. Friend of Wildlife: Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory.

A description of how raptors have been observed using fire to drive prey from hiding places in grasslands in Australia. Some field biologists have documented this behavior, even speculate that birds may have taught early humans to use fire for cooking and other purposes. Bird of the episode: the Lesser Scaup. Birding hotspot: Chino Valley northwest of Prescott. Friend of wildlife organization: Hispanic Access Foundation.

Four captive California Condors are set to be released into the wild from Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona at the end of September. The public is invited to witness this dramatic event in person or virtually. Banding of American White Pelicans at Great Salt Lake resumed this summer. Great Salt Lake is a major bird migration stop-over in Utah. Bird of the episode: Western Tanager. Birding hotspot: Maricopa County parks. Friend of Wildlife: Liberty Wildlife in Phoenix.

A description of an encounter with the rare Zone-tailed Hawk on our patio in central Arizona. According to the Sibley Guide to Birds (2nd Edition) Fewer than 300 nesting sites are known to exist in North America.
Excerpts from the newsletter of the Northern Arizona Audubon Society including a report on its recent CHAMP field trip for families of children with cancer. Bird of the episode: Pygmy Nuthatch. Birding hotspot: Fossil Creek wildlife area in the Coconino National Forest. Friend of Wildlife: the Payson Roundup online news service.

An update by Charles J. Babbitt, Conservation chair of the Maricopa Audubon Society on effects of groundwater pumping by mining operations in the Pinto Creek basin near Superior, Arizona. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policy is a major win for mining interests in the region while perennial streams are being dewatered at an alarming rate.
A Roseate Spoonbill was spotted in a pond on the Mogollon Rim, a very unusual sighting in Arizona's high country. And a report on the dangers of open pipe fence posts and other structures that trap birds.
Bird of the episode: MacGillivray's Warbler. Birding hotspot: Arlington Wildlife Management Area in Maricopa County. Friend of Wildlife: Arizona Wilderness Coalition.

An introduction to the Coloradito, the Red-faced Warbler, one of the most sought-after birds by visitors to Arizona. A report on the historic Yavapai-Apache water agreement recently concluded with multiple partners working to achieve sustainable water resources in the Southwest. A brief description of molting wherein birds lose their feathers in a process that replaces them in time for migration and breeding. Bird of the episode: Mountain Bluebird. Birding hotspot: Yuma East Wetlands in the lower Colorado River delta. Friend of Wildlife: Paton Center for Hummingbirds at Patagonia.

An update on the possible return of Desert Martins to the Sonoran Desert. Desert Martins only nest in Saguaro cacti, and Tucson Audubon is asking area residents to be on the lookout for this elusive species.
A report on recent audio detections in the area by the Haikubox, a device that listens for bird songs and calls and collects and reports that data automatically.
A description of webinars to be presented by Southwest Audubon's Appleton Whittell Research Fellows describing their work and how it impacts Arizona's natural grasslands.
Bird of the episode: the Sora. Birding hotspot: Peloncillo Mountains.
Friends of Wildlife: Western Rivers Action Network

A report on a multi-million dollar WaterSMART grant awarded to a consortium of organizations including Audubon Southwest to restore riparian corridors along the Gila River southwest of Phoenix. Projects will include removal of invasive species such as Salt Cedar that have altered the river ecosystem by driving out native species. And a report on what birds hear - and don't hear - including the vocal range of the human voice. Go ahead and yack it up in the field. Chances are nearby birds are NOT eavesdropping. Bird of the episode: Rivoli's Hummingbird. Birding hotspot: Cave Creek Canyon in eastern Arizona. Friends of Wildlife: Friends of the Verde River Valley.

A report on the importance of citizen scientists, overwhelmingly volunteers, serving as ecological stewards along the U.S. Mexico border. Stereotypically characterized as drawn from the ranks of retirees, many are students, professionals, individuals with specialized expertise that lends itself to tasks at hand. Bird of the episode: Scaled Quail. Birding Hotspot: Ramsey Canyon Preserve near Sierra Vista. Friends of wildlife: the many science programs at the University of Arizona, Tucson.

A report on July birding along the Mogollon Rim in northeast Arizona and a riparian area between Eagar and Springerville during July. Written by Rob Bettaso, Field Trip coordinator and editor of the Osprey Overlook, newsletter of the White Mountain Audubon Society in Pinetop/Lakeside Arizona near Show Low, the report includes an invitation to join bird-walks in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest in August by Mary Williams, President of the WMAS.  Bird of the episode: the Killdeer. Birding hotspot: Miller Peak Wilderness in southeastern Arizona. Friends of wildlife organization: Arizona Field Ornithologists.