Welcome Birders!
This page is a summary of "rare" and "specialty" birds seen recently in southern California and Arizona. Our aim is to update this summary daily. Please understand that not all of these records have been confirmed. The information on this page comes from the following sources:
- AZ/NM Listserv
- Arizona Bird Network (AZBird.net)
- SDBIRDS: San Diego County Listserv (YAHOO Group)
- Inland County Birds Listserve (YAHOO Group)
- eBird
- Bird observations e-mailed to me
- Personal observations
Rare Birds
Rarities are those birds not expected to be at the indicated location, or not expected at that time of year. They could be vagrant, like a Black-throated Blue Warbler, or a wintering migrant, like a Cliff Swallow. Some birds may be listed because they are locally rare, like a Black Skimmer at Lake Havasu.
Specialty Birds
Specialty birds are those which might be of interest to visitors to our area. Examples might be Black Rail, Mountain Quail, Elegant Trogon, or Le Conte's Thrasher. Even though it's possible to see or hear many of these specialty birds year-round, it's always nice to know when someone reports them, and where they were seen.
COMING SOON: Links to birding location maps and bird photos!
| ARIZONA Rare Bird Sightings - December 23-29, 2012 | ||
SUN |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Tucson: American Redstart (Alvernon and 22nd St behind Hardesty Bldg) Fort Lowell Park: Northern Parula Tucson, Evergreen Cemetery: Pine Warbler; Chestnut-sided Warbler |
CENTRAL AZ |
||
NORTHERN AZ |
V Bar V Ranch: Golden-crowned Sparrow |
|
WESTERN AZ |
||
MON |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Catalina State Park: Golden-crowned Sparrow Green Valley: Cassin's Kingbird (Continental Pecan Grove) Sabino Canyon: Northern Parula |
CENTRAL AZ |
||
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
TUE |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Catalina State Park: Golden-crowned Sparrow Santa Cruz River: Eastern Phoebe (1/2 mile north of Ina Road bridge) Sierra Vista: Hooded Oriole (private property hummingbird feeder) Sabino Canyon: Northern Parula (above the dam) |
CENTRAL AZ |
||
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
WED |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Whitewater Draw: Ruddy Ground-dove (2) Tucson, southwest: Rufous-backed Robin (private property, backyard birdbath) St David, monastery ponds: Swamp Sparrow (in vegetation along north pond); Eastern Bluebird (in hackberry tree along road by lower cemetery) Patagonia Lake: Ruddy Ground-dove (male and female, near Visitor Center); Broad-billed Hummingbird; White-throated Sparrow; Hepatic Tanager Pena Blanca Lake: White-throated Sparrow (Lower Thumb Rock inlet) Rio Rico Pond: Swamp Sparrow (east of pond along fence line) Portal: Magnificent Hummingbird; Blue-throated Hummingbird; Painted Redstart; White-throated Sparrow (Cave Creek Ranch) |
CENTRAL AZ |
Boyce Thompson Arboretum: Northern Parula (picnic grounds) Tres Rios Overbank Wetlands: Chestnut-sided Warbler; Swamp Sparrow |
|
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
THU |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
St David: Winter Wren and Eastern Bluebird (Holy Trinity Monastery) Benson: Brown Pelican (near San Pedro crossing) Tucson (SW): Rufous-backed Robin (private property birdbath) Hereford, Miller Canyon Rd: Broad-billed Hummingbird (female); Magnificent Hummingbird (female) |
CENTRAL AZ |
Ahwatukee: Eastern Phoebe (ponds south of Ahwatukee) Gila River CBC, south of Buckeye: Horned Grebe; Ruddy Ground-dove (4) |
|
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
FRI |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Portal: Blue-throated Hummingbird (Jasper Feeders); Broad-tailed Hummingbird (female) Tucson (SW): Rufous-backed Robin (private property birdbath) Whitewater Draw: Rough-legged Hawk; Ruddy Ground-dove (2) St David: Winter Wren (along overflow from monasstery pond) Tucson, Roger Road WRF: Yellow-throated Warbler; Chestnut-sided Warbler; Summer Tanager Catalina State Park: Golden-crowned Sparrow (along Birding Trail) |
CENTRAL AZ |
Tres Rios Overflow Wetlands: Chestnut-sided Warbler and Northern Parula (both along the Salt River channel just to the south of the wetlands); Swamp Sparrow | |
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
SAT |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
San Pedro River, Hereford Bridge: Eastern Phoebe Catalina State Park: Golden-crowned Sparrow (along left fork of Birding Trail) Sulphur Springs Valley: Rough-legged Hawk Tucson: Groove-billed Ani (flew over Wilmot Rd near intersection with Carondelet) Sabino Canyon: Northern Parula (above the dam) |
CENTRAL AZ |
Chandler: Gray Catbird |
|
NORTHERN AZ |
NF-618: Grasshopper Sparrow (between V bar V Ranch and M Diamond Ranch) Flagstaff: Palm Warbler (Rio de Flag/Willow Bend) Mt Elden CBC: Swamp Sparrow and White-throated Sparrow (Picture Canyon); Evening Grosbeak |
|
WESTERN AZ |
South Yuma County, farm fields: Prairie Falcon (4); Golden Eagle |
| CALIFORNIA Rare Bird Sightings -December 23-29, 2012 | ||
SUN |
SAN DIEGO CO. |
Coronado: Yellow-throated Vireo (east edge of North Island) Carlsbad: Hooded Oriole; Baltimore Oriole (Archstone Apts corner of Camino de las Ondas and Seascape) Leucadia: Hermit Warbler (Pacifica Apts at 1680 Coast Hwy) Del Mar: Thick-billed Kingbird and Tropical Kingbird (se corner of polo field) Fairbanks Ranch: Eurasian Wigeon |
IMPERIAL CO. |
||
RIVERSIDE CO. |
||
MON |
SAN DIEGO CO. |
Point Loma: Summer Tanager (La Playa) Spring Valley: Grace's Warbler (Cliffside Ave near intersection with Fieldcrest) |
IMPERIAL CO. |
||
RIVERSIDE CO. |
TUE |
SAN DIEGO CO. |
Del Mar: Thick-billed Kingbird (se corner of polo field) Spring Valley: Grace's Warbler (Cliffside Ave near intersection with Fieldcrest) Oceanside/Carlsbad: Plumbeous Vireo (near Old Mission Montessori school); Summer Tanager (male; on Buena Vista Circle) Pantoja Park: Chestnut-sided Warbler; White-throated Warbler |
IMPERIAL CO. |
||
RIVERSIDE CO. |
THU |
SAN DIEGO CO. |
La Jolla: Summer Tanager (male, along La Cumbre Dr); Summer Tanager (female) and Western Tanager (both near intersection of Muirlands and Inspiration Dr) Del Mar: Thick-billed Kingbird (se corner of polo field) Santee Lakes: Zone-tailed Hawk |
IMPERIAL CO. |
||
RIVERSIDE CO. |
FRI |
SAN DIEGO CO. |
Point Loma Nazarene: White-throated Sparrow La Jolla Cove: Ancient Murrelet (4) Mission San Diego de Alcala: Eastern Phoebe; Black-and-white Warbler (south along the riparian area behind apartments just past tennis courts) |
IMPERIAL CO. |
||
RIVERSIDE CO. |
SAT |
SAN DIEGO CO. |
SD Wild Animal Park: Zone-tailed Hawk Jacumba: Evening Grosbeak (private yard feeder) Coronado: Yellow-throated Vireo (in front of 651 Coronado Ave) |
IMPERIAL CO. |
||
RIVERSIDE CO. |
Whitewater River: Swamp Sparrow; Black-throated Blue Warbler (33.51495, -116.06591) Palm Springs: Northern Parula |
| ARIZONA Specialty Bird Sightings - December 23-29, 2012 | ||
SUN |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
|
CENTRAL AZ |
||
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
||
MON |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Green Valley: Chihuahuan Raven (50; Continental Pecan Grove) |
CENTRAL AZ |
||
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
TUE |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Catalina State Park: Crissal Thrasher |
CENTRAL AZ |
||
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
WED |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Whitewater Draw: Sandhill Crane (8000) Huachuca Canyon: Elegant Trogon (100 yards up the jeep track from the 1.7 mile picnic/parking area) |
CENTRAL AZ |
Tres Rios Overflow Wetlands: Red-shouldered Hawk; Ferruginous Hawk |
|
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
THU |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Huachuca Mts: Spotted Owl (Miller Canyon, past Split Rock) |
CENTRAL AZ |
Ahwatukee: Sandhill Crane (8); Ferruginous Hawk Gila River CBC, south of Buckeye: Crissal Thrasher; Le Conte's Thrasher; Sandhill Crane (32) |
|
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
FRI |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Portal, Jasper feeders: Crissal Thrasher; Pyrrhuloxia; Mexican Jay Whitewater Draw: Sandhill Crane |
CENTRAL AZ |
Tres Rios Overflow Wetlands: Ferruginous Hawk |
|
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
SAT |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Sulphur Springs Valley: Ferruginous Hawk Huachuca Mtns, Parker Canyon Lake: Harris's Hawk; Mexican Jay |
CENTRAL AZ |
||
NORTHERN AZ |
||
WESTERN AZ |
South Yuma County, farm fields: Ferruginous Hawk (59); Mountain Plover (8) |
| CALIFORNIA Specialty Bird Sightings -December 23-29, 2012 | ||
SUN |
SAN DIEGO CO. |
Fairbanks Ranch: Tricolored Blackbird (50) |
IMPERIAL CO. |
||
RIVERSIDE CO. |
||
Last update: December 30, 2012