Birding in Phoenix
Reconnect with the sights and sounds of nature at these top spots for birding in Greater Phoenix.
By Teresa Bitler
“Listen,” says Mark Larson, president of the Maricopa Audubon Society.
After parking, grabbing my notebook and rushing to meet Larson in front of the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center less than two miles south of downtown Phoenix, I have to make a conscious effort to hear the sounds around me. As soon as I do, the chirping comes at me from all directions.
“There weren’t any birds when I got here, but I started pishing, and they filled that tree,” he says, pointing to a mesquite.
I don’t see the birds, but I continue to hear them, drawn by the call of “pish, pish, pish” Larson sounded before I arrive. Birding, I learn from him, is just as much about what you hear as what you see. It’s also about stopping, being still and noticing your surroundings, which is why it’s such a great way to explore Phoenix.
“Birds are all around us,” he explains. “They connect us to the natural world. When you stop and be fairly quiet, birds will start to appear. It’s like magic.”
Pausing to really experience a place gives you a deeper appreciation for it, I realize as we walk along the Salt River. You’re not zipping past on a mountain bike or dutifully hiking a trail. You notice the insects swarming near the water’s surface, the shape of the leaves on an unfamiliar tree, and—out of the corner of your eye—something grey slash in front of a tree and disappear behind a bush.
“That’s a green heron,” Larson tells me.
As we continue through the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, I ask him what it takes to get started birding. His answer is simple: binoculars. A field guide helps, too, and most places known for birding will have a bird list available online or onsite. If you’re not sure what to do, he advises taking an organized bird walk, like the one held on Mondays at the Desert Botanical Garden.
Birding is something you learn by doing, and in Phoenix, there are plenty of great bird sites to get the hang of it. Here are just a few:
Once a dump site less than two miles south of downtown Phoenix, this 600-acre restoration area stretches along five miles of the Salt River and is home to the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center. Today, more than 250 birds have been spotted here. Bird on your own when the trails are open, sunrise to 7 p.m. (or sunset), or take an organized Saturday morning bird walk, October through May.
641 W Lower Buckeye Rd, Phoenix 85003
Also known as Gilbert Water Ranch, the 110-acre Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch attracts more than 200 species of birds and is considered one of the best places in the Greater Phoenix area for spotting ducks and shorebirds. Desert Rivers Audubon offers free family bird walks on the more than four miles of trails here every third Saturday, October through March.
2757 E Guadalupe Rd, Gilbert 85234
With its five trails showcasing different desert habitats, including a mesquite bosque, the 140-acre Desert Botanical Garden is one of the premier birding destinations in the Greater Phoenix area. If you’re new to birding, come on Monday when garden docents lead a bird walk. A comprehensive list of what was spotted on each week’s walk can be found here.
1201 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix 85008
(480) 941-1225
Just next door to the Desert Botanical Garden, the Phoenix Zoo also attracts a remarkable number of birds, and because there are so many people at the zoo, the birds there aren’t as skittish as they might be in more secluded areas. Watch for several varieties of ducks near the zoo’s entrance and on its ponds.
455 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix 85008
(602) 286-3800
