Bird-Watching
The naturalist and illustrator Roger Tory Peterson (1908–96) considered Tucson one of the country's top birding spots, and avid "life listers"—birders who keep a list of all the birds they've sighted and identified—soon see why. In the early morning and early evening Sabino Canyon is alive with cactus and canyon wrens, hawks, and quail. Spring and summer, when species of migrants come in from Mexico, are great hummingbird seasons. In the nearby Santa Rita Mountains and Madera Canyon you can see elegant trogons nesting in early spring. The area also supports species usually found only in higher elevations.
Tucson Audubon Society and Nature Shop. You can get the latest birding word on the local Audubon Society's 24-hour line; sightings of rare or interesting birds in the area are recorded regularly. The society's shop carries field guides, bird feeders, binoculars, and natural-history books. 300 E. University Blvd., Suite 120, University, Tucson, Arizona, 85705. 520/629–0510; tucsonaudubon.org. Closed Sun..
Wild Bird Store. This shop is an excellent resource for birding information, feeders, books, and trail guides. Free bird walks are offered most Sundays October–May. 3160 E. Fort Lowell Rd., Central, Tucson, Arizona, 85716. 520/322–9466; www.wildbirdsonline.com.
