Tucson and Southeast Arizona for Common Black Hawk migration
In March 2024, I traveled to Arizona with Wildside Nature Tours on their Black Hawk Migration tour with guides Alex Lamoreaux and Chris Brown. The trip was my first with professional birding guides and I had an absolute blast. On my 8-day trip, I ended up with over 150 bird species (65 of which were lifers), including 22 species of raptors.
Ebird Trip Report (Wildside Tour + surrounding weekends)
Ebird Trip Report (Wildside Tour only)
The Common Black Hawk and the Tubac Hawkwatch
The central point of our trip was the hawkwatch site in Tubac, AZ, which for several years now has proven to be an incredibly consistent place to see Common Black Hawk as they migrate northwards towards breeding grounds. These large hawks have a fascinating flight profile and are extremely unique compared to other American hawks. The Tubac Hawkwatch is a terrific place to observe their very consistent, very condensed migration. The unique community around this hawkwatch made every visit exciting; the 2024 crowds were impressive and the energy and excitement were palpable.
Target Birds: Other Southwestern Specialties
I had 4 target species of raptors for the trip and was overjoyed to get great looks at all of them. Besides Common Black Hawks, I was excited to my first Harris’s Hawk, Gray Hawk and Zone-tailed Hawk. Our tour took us throughout the many varied landscapes of southeast Arizona, and brought us wonderful opportunities to view these desert specialists.
The Land of the Saguaro
My first time in the desert left me in awe of the flora and fauna that call this place home. None were more impressive than the awe-inspiring Saguaro cactus; a massive plant with real character that has to be seen to believe. We found a returning pair of Crested Caracara nesting in a Saguaro outside of Tucson. Later in the trip, I stumbled almost directly underneath a Great Horned Owl nest in the Ironwood Forest National Monument north of the city.
Raptors of the Desert
For the raptor-lover, Southeast Arizona in March will offer great looks at some of the most unique and specialized birds of prey that we have. The wildly varied habitats we were able to explore on our trip showed many different sides of Arizona and how the extraordinary birds of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts are able to make a living. Some of my favorite spots we visited were full of desolate beauty – Saguaro National Park, the San Rafael Grasslands, and Box Canyon. Other spots, however, were full of unique community spirit and showed how well people and birds can co-exist together: the Paton Center for Hummingbirds, Desert Meadows Park and the Santa Rita Lodge.
