Birds

Information about birds and birding in the Rio Salado Habitat.

Photo: Jim Winters

Saturday Morning Bird Outings
Family Programs

Saturday Morning Bird Outings

Join local bird enthusiasts on a guided bird outing through the Rio Salado habitat area

Read more

Fun Facts about hummingbirds
Birds

Fun Facts about hummingbirds

Learn some new facts about hummingbirds

Read more

Native Plants that Attract Birds
Birds

Native Plants that Attract Birds

Learn which native plants will attract birds, and conserve water too!

Read more

Record Your Sightings in eBird

Each and every day, birds are around us. 

In fact, you’d be hard pressed not to spot at least one bird on any given day. Birds have fascinated people for centuries, for good reason. Many have bright bold feathers like the Summer Tanager; others have beautiful songs like the Song Sparrow. Some, like the Scott’s Oriole, flaunt both. It’s easy to see why so many people are enamored by birds. They grace our backyard bird feeders, our biggest cities, and the most remote areas on our planet.

Every time that you spot a bird, you have the opportunity to contribute to something bigger-- by recording your sighting in eBird, a major online database that has been tracking birds for many years. 

Whether you spend 5 minutes or 5 hours birding, your sightings help piece together a larger puzzle about what birds do. By using data gathered by the public, scientists understand the timing and frequency of bird movements all across the world. It doesn’t end at migration; it helps track the spread of invasive bird species like the Eurasian Collared Dove and the European Starling.

Putting your sightings on eBird helps everyone-- from local birders looking for a new life bird on their list, to species threatened with extinction, like the Yuma Ridgway’s Rail or the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. 

Click here to learn more about eBird, and here for a guide on how to use it.

Birds at Our Center and the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area

Abert's Towhee

Latin:  Melozone aberti

Illustration for Abert's Towhee

Gambel's Quail

Latin:  Callipepla gambelii

Illustration for Gambel's Quail

Verdin

Latin:  Auriparus flaviceps

Illustration for Verdin

House Finch

Latin:  Haemorhous mexicanus

Illustration for House Finch

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Latin:  Archilochus alexandri

Illustration for Black-chinned Hummingbird

Costa's Hummingbird

Latin:  Calypte costae

Illustration for Costa's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird

Latin:  Calypte anna

Illustration for Anna's Hummingbird

Green Heron

Latin:  Butorides virescens

Illustration for Green Heron

Great Blue Heron

Latin:  Ardea herodias

Illustration for Great Blue Heron

Greater Roadrunner

Latin:  Geococcyx californianus

Illustration for Greater Roadrunner

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Latin:  Setophaga coronata

Illustration for Yellow-rumped Warbler

Curve-billed Thrasher

Latin:  Toxostoma curvirostre

Illustration for Curve-billed Thrasher

Burrowing Owl

Latin:  Athene cunicularia

Illustration for Burrowing Owl

Mourning Dove

Latin:  Zenaida macroura

Illustration for Mourning Dove

White-winged Dove

Latin:  Zenaida asiatica

Illustration for White-winged Dove

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Latin:  Streptopelia decaocto

Illustration for Eurasian Collared-Dove

Great Egret

Latin:  Ardea alba

Illustration for Great Egret

Black Phoebe

Latin:  Sayornis nigricans

Illustration for Black Phoebe

Great-tailed Grackle

Latin:  Quiscalus mexicanus

Illustration for Great-tailed Grackle

Red-winged Blackbird

Latin:  Agelaius phoeniceus

Illustration for Red-winged Blackbird

Common Yellowthroat

Latin:  Geothlypis trichas

Illustration for Common Yellowthroat

Western Tanager

Latin:  Piranga ludoviciana

Illustration for Western Tanager

American Kestrel

Latin:  Falco sparverius

Illustration for American Kestrel

Neotropic Cormorant

Latin:  Phalacrocorax brasilianus

Illustration for Neotropic Cormorant

Turkey Vulture

Latin:  Cathartes aura

Illustration for Turkey Vulture

Red-tailed Hawk

Latin:  Buteo jamaicensis

Illustration for Red-tailed Hawk

Gray Hawk

Latin:  Buteo plagiatus

Illustration for Gray Hawk

Sora

Latin:  Porzana carolina

Illustration for Sora

Common Gallinule

Latin:  Gallinula galeata

Illustration for Common Gallinule

American Coot

Latin:  Fulica americana

Illustration for American Coot

Mallard

Latin:  Anas platyrhynchos

Illustration for Mallard

Pied-billed Grebe

Latin:  Podilymbus podiceps

Illustration for Pied-billed Grebe

Common Raven

Latin:  Corvus corax

Illustration for Common Raven

Osprey

Latin:  Pandion haliaetus

Illustration for Osprey

Gila Woodpecker

Latin:  Melanerpes uropygialis

Illustration for Gila Woodpecker

Peregrine Falcon

Latin:  Falco peregrinus

Illustration for Peregrine Falcon

How you can help, right now