Information for Arizona birders including summaries of research and analysis related to bird conservation and protection. Introductions to common Arizona birds, Arizona birding hotspots, governmental and non-profit agencies charged with bird conservation.
Podcast host Mike Ameigh is a retired professor/academic administrator with the the State University of New York. He holds a PhD in Public Communication from the Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University.
Arizona Game and Fish announcement request for public cooperation as Bald Eagle nesting is underway; an essay suggesting perceptions that European Starlings are 'invasive' and 'pests' may need rethinking; bird of the week: the Osprey; Birding hotspot: Blue and San Francisco Rivers IBA; Friends of wildlife agency: Friends of Saguaro National Park; Calendar of bird friendly events coming up across Arizona.
More thoughts about Merlin, the new audio ID app from Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Native desert plants that attract birds and other desirable wildlife; Nature Conservancy/Arizona restoration of Aravaipa Creek northeast of Tucson a great success story; Bird-of-the-Week: Great Blue Heron; Birding Hotspot: Bill Williams River/Lake Havasu National Wildlife Refuge IBA; Friends of Wildlife Agency: Friends of the Huachuca Mountains; A calendar of birding events throughout Arizona in the days and weeks ...
Arizona Groundwater Coalition presentations on declining groundwater statewide; New professional conservation hires at Tucson Audubon; How and why vultures thrive in urban environments; Bird-of-the-Week: Phainopepla; Birding Hotspot: White Mountains region of northeastern Arizona; Friends-of-Wildlife Agency of the week: Desert Foothills Land Trust; Weekly calendar of bird friendly events throughout Arizona.
Some thoughts about Merlin, Cornell Lab of Ornithology's new audio app for identifying wild birds in the field; DNA research on the Northern and Gilded Flicker confirming "one-size-fits-all"; Bird of the week: White-crowned Sparrow; Birding hotspot: Sedona Wetlands Preserve in central Arizona; Friend of Wildlife agency: Friends of the Sonoran Desert; Calendar of bird friendly events in coming days throughout Arizona.
Preview of results from the 2021 Hawkwatch International raptor survey at Yaki Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon; Report on water flowing again from the Colorado River into the Gulf of California to reconstitute important wetland bird habitat; Thousands of Sandhill Cranes have returned to winter at Whitewater Draw WMA near Willcox; Bird of the Week: Western Bluebird; Friend of Wildlife agency: Arizona Wilderness Coalition; Birding hotspot: Whitewater Draw WMA; Calendar of birding events...
Overview of public land designations across Arizona focusing on State Trust Lands; Why some songbirds and hummingbirds appear to have a 'sweet tooth;' Bird-of-the-week: Mourning Dove; Friend-of-Wildlife: Sky Island Alliance; Birding hotspot: Bubbling Ponds at the Page Springs Fish Hatchery, Cornville. Bird walks and other events offered by Maricopa Audubon, Northern Arizona Audubon, White Mountain Audubon, Prescott Audubon, Yuma Audubon, Desert Rivers Audubon, Arizona Field Ornithologists, Wings...
Report on results of 2021 Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo survey on the Agua Fria National Monument; City of Yuma resumes sending water to to Yuma East Wetlands recharge ponds in support of bird conservation in the lower Colorado River region; Featured bird: Elf Owl; Birding Hotspot: Arivaca Lake south of Tucson; Friends-of-Wildlife Agency: Western Rivers Action Network; Calendar of birding events throughout Arizona in coming weeks.
A report by Arizona Field Ornithologists on their recent expedition to the Southern Bradshaw Mountains in Prescott National Forest. A spotlight on the BLM Conservation Resource Management Field Certificate Program (Phoenix Field School) for 18-24 year-old youth. Bird of the episode: Abert's Towhee. Friend of Wildlife agency Friends of the Verde River. Calendar of birding events and field trips across Arizona in the days ahead.
A call by Arizona Field Ornithologists for citizen scientists to help fill in gaps in bird data in remote areas of Arizona where data is lacking. Bird of the week: Northern Mockingbird. Birding hotspot: the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia, Arizona. Featured Friends-of-Wildlife agency, Arizona Parks and Trails. Calendar of Arizona birding events and activities coming up in October and beyond.
Overview of globally significant southeastern Arizona birding destinations. September 2021 birding report by the White Mountains Audubon Society at Pine Top/Lakeside in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest. Bird of the week: Pinyon Jay. Birding Hotspot of the week: Arlington Wildlife Management Area near Buckeye. Agency spotlight: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A report on the impact of the ongoing western U.S. drought on skyrocketing prices of bird feeder stock including sunflower, safflower and millet. 2021 crop yields are down 40 percent and more. A report on noxious weed removal at Kachina Wetlands Preserve that has restored pond trails that had become nearly impassible due to uncontrolled weeds. Native plants and wildflowers are making a comeback. Bird of the week is the Black-throated Sparrow; spotlight on Arizona Field Ornithologists; birding ho...
New Youth Leadership Program in South Phoenix designed to generate the next generation of Arizona naturalists; A Voice of America report on the lingering effects on wildlife of construction of the wall along the U.S. Mexico border; a report from Audubon Magazine on how Arizona's many tribes can play a critical role in bird conservation and protection. Bird of the week is the Verdin; birding hotspot is the Willcox, AZ Playa, a former bombing range now winter home to thousands of migrating Sandhil...
Report from the American Bird Conservancy on the status of the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo across the Southwest; Overview of birding hotspot Base and Meridian Wildlife Management Area near Avondale, AZ; Spotlight on Sonoran Joint Venture , an U.S.-Mexico partnership whose mission is to conserve and protect bird habitat across the Southwest; Featured bird-of-the-week: White-winged Dove. Extensive list of birding events across Arizona in coming days and weeks.
A report on the decline of backyard birds due to non-native plants in suburban landscapes. An interview by Field and Stream with Arizona Game and Fish Commission on why trail cameras have been banned in Arizona. A Smithsonian study on formerly unknown migratory routes of Common Nighthawks; mystery solved. Spotlight on the Lower Oak Creek IBA near Sedona. Introduction to the Hall Lab at ASU, launch pad for undergraduate students focused on careers in field biology. Featured bird: Gambel's Quail. ...
Birders debate eliminating eponymous bird names. Audubon Society wins suit to protect coastal beaches from sand mining, a major win for shore birds along the lower Colorado River. Wildlife Society working with native Arizona tribe to protect birds. Bird-of-the-week, Ash-throated Flycatcher. Birding hotspot: Lake Havasu IBA. Friend-of-wildlife organization: Southeast Arizona Bird Observatory. Bird friendly events calendar for September.
Birding highlights from Fall 2020 from Arizona Birds - Journal of Arizona Field Ornithologists . A new bill in Congress to reinforce and improve the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A call by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to landowners and mining interests to cap open-ended PVC and iron pipes and other devices that trap birds and other wildlife. Overview of the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch of the NAS Important Bird Area (IBA) near Elgin, Arizona. Introduction to the Red-tailed Hawk, a common...
Excerpt of a report on the critical importance of 'citizen science' in tracking the impact of human activity on bird populations in southeast Arizona during construction of the border wall in early 2020. Bird of the week: Curve-billed Thrasher, one of five species of thrasher found in Arizona. Agency spotlight: Liberty Wildlife. Weekly list of birding events and bird walks across the state over coming weeks.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) protocol for tracking and protecting Burrowing Owl Habitat, especially in urban areas including metro Phoenix. The Arizona Bald Eagle Protection Program. Tucson Audubon Society's commitment to restoring Sonoita Creek through eradication of non-native plants. Overview of the Birdability initiative to make more wildlife viewing sites around Arizona accessible to disabled birders. Bird of the week: Gila Woodpecker. Birding Hotspot: Anderson Mesa IBA southeast of Flag...
Report on a new Arizona law that benefits Arizona birds. Overview of Arizona's state coordinated bird monitoring program. Report on the Azure Bluebird Nest Box Program in southeast Arizona. Introduction to the Important Bird Area (IBA) program that includes 48 sites across the state. Bird of the week: the Cactus Wren. Agency of the week: Southwest Audubon Society. Calendar of upcoming birding events and opportunities across Arizona.
