While traveling to Arizona, you get to witness vibrant and fascinating birds. There are more than 571 varieties of birds to be found in Arizona, throughout the Grand Canyon State, where you can capture them in their natural habitat and behaviors. It is known to be the fourth most bird-rich state. You also witness different features and distinct ways of interacting with nature.
Here is a quick glimpse of the birdlife you should take advantage of in this vast landscape.
1. Gambel’s Quail
Gambel’s Quail occupy the brushy habitats and are spotted throughout North America. These medium-sized birds spread across California to Nova Scotia and were also spotted from Alaska to Florida. These 9.8 to 11″‘ inches long birds, weighing 160 to 200 grams, can also be seen in brushy areas, deserts, rivers, backyards and valleys.
These birds are distinguished by their reddish brown crest and they also have a cream-coloured belly which has black patches, there are chestnut flanks with white stripes. The interesting fact is that they migrate southwards during the winter and fly as far as Guatemala, to find food and survive.
These birds feed on seeds, berries, and insects, including ticks and ants.
2. Great Tailed Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle is native to Mexico and it was first introduced to United. Today, they occupy a huge range starting from Minnesota, Oregon, Idaho, California, and Florida, and are also spotted in Southern Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, and Ecuador. These 15 to 18″ inches birds, weighing 200 to 265 grams are seen around pastures, wetlands, backyards and mangroves.
They can be easily spotted through their black body and purple-blue sheen. The interesting fact is that they can adapt themselves to different kinds of environments.
These birds feed on grasses, seeds, small insects, fruits, berries, larvae, grubs, lizards, eggs and nestlings, having a wide range of nutritional choices.
3. Abert’s Towhee
Abert’s Towhee is a special type of sparrow which can be found in the North American region and also spread across the eastern half of the United States and also occupy Canada. These 8.3 to 9.8″ long birds, weighing 40 to 54 grams are seen around brushy habitats, suburban areas, valleys of forest, such as oak, pine, hardwood and also in lower desert areas.
They can be easily distinguished from their long tail, brown plumage and a dark face. During the winter, these birds migrate to the southern states, such as Florida, Texas and Georgia and as the spring hits they return north.
These birds feed on mostly insects which include grasshoppers, crickets, seeds, grubs, berries and fruits.
4. Northern Mockingbird
Northern Mockingbird covers every part of Arizona, but predominantly in Maricopa County and Pima County. These birds are 8 to 11″ inches long, weighing 40 to 58 grams are mostly spotted in forested areas, gardens and parks.
Interestingly, these birds have a breeding season between the late spring and early summer. At this time, they are seen to travel through the continental divide and cross Mexico and after the season they travel back, where they lay eggs.
These birds can be easily distinguished from their gray upper areas which have white underparts and they also bear black and white bars on the wings.
The bird feeds on seeds, fruits, berries, arthropods, earthworms, and often lizards.
5. Lesser Goldfinch
Lesser Goldfinches are seen in parts of North America, Asia and Europe. They have a wide breeding area, spreading from Southern Canada to central Mexico. They also occupy the Bermuda and Caribbean islands. These 3.5 to 4.7 ” inches long birds, weighing 8 to 12 grams are seen in open fields, prairies, meadows and orchards, backyards and parks. They also occupy Peru, Venezuela and Washington.
They can be recognized from their bright yellow underparts and white patches which are present on the tail and wings. These birds tend to migrate southwards when the food becomes scarce during the winter months.
Lesser Goldfinch feeds on weed seeds and tree buds.
6. Verdin
Verdin is a very small bird and it is native to the Western United States. They also occupy a range from California to Texas and move far North to Nebraska. These 4.5″ inches birds weighing 6.8 grams are primarily found in open grasslands, semi-deserts, shrublands and deserts. Occasionally, they are found venturing into woodlands and chaparral habitats.
These birds are recognized from their bright yellow head and a shoulder patch of reddish brown. These birds are monogamous breeders and migrate south when the temperature drops and as soon as spring arrives, they return north.
These birds mostly feed on beetles, grasshoppers, spiders and caterpillars. This diet also includes seeds, flowers, nectar and berries.
7. Common Raven
Common Raven is predominantly found in the southwestern part of North America and based on the season they change location. From April to June, you can spot them in Arizona and during the breeding season they are spotted in the southern parts of the state. They are seen in the deserts of Phoenix, Pinal, Yuma and Maricopa. These 21 to 26-inch, 1.5 to 4.5-lb birds can be easily spotted in evergreen forests, tundras, roadside, grasslands, backyards, parks and more. Mostly they occupy the Northern Hemisphere.
Common Ravens are spotted for their black iridescent plumage.
These birds mostly feed on small insects and seeds and they are also seen devouring small carrion, and small animals such as mice, bats, frogs and worms. Thus, they are mostly known for scavenging.
8. Anna’s Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird is one of the smallest birds in the family and it can be spotted on the western coast of North America, Southern Canada and Northern California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Utah. These birds are 3.9 to 4.3 ” inches in height and weigh 3 to 6 grams. These 3 to 6-gram weight birds, 3.9 to 4.3 inches in size, are mostly seen in open woodland, chaparral, coastal regions and backyards.
These birds are easily spotted due to their iridescent color, having a bronze greenish back and a gray chest along with green flanks. They are known for their unique capability of making a fluttering or low buzzing sound. They also have different types of singing capability, one is thrilling and the other is humming. They can also produce a loud and high-pitched call.
Their diet mostly consists of nectar from flowers and insects. They also prefer fruits and they live in tree branches.
9. Wing Winged Dove
Wing Winged Doves are seen gliding along the high altitude and they can go as high as 2 miles. They are mostly seen along Sky Harbor which is their feeding group. These birds occupy a range of Arizona, Texas, San Antonio, Kansas, Central America, the Caribbean, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and northern New Mexico Mexico. Being 11″ inches long and weighing 159 grams, these birds are spotted near grasslands, riverwoods, saguaros, towns, deserts, brushlands, farmlands and citrus groves.
If you want to spot a White-winged Dove, you have to visit Arizona from late May to late September. These birds also tend to migrate when the temperature drops and becomes adverse.
These birds are recognized for their brownish-gray upper body with a gray undertone. They also have a crescent patch on their wings.
Wing Winged Doves primarily feed on seeds, fruits and grains.
10. Curved Billed Thrasher
Curved Billed Thrasher occupies the range from western North America, and Central America to northern South America. Even though the birds can be found throughout Arizona, mostly they are spotted in deserts, scrublands, grasslands and savannas. You can also spot them near woodland edges, pinon, desert bushland and backyards.
They are 10.5 to 11″ inches in height and weigh 60 to 93.5 grams, having a brownish-gray upper body and gray under. They also have white crescent patches on the wings. These birds tend to migrate to southern California, during the cod or fly towards Texas.
These birds primarily depend on invertebrates for their meal, such as beetles, moths, arachnids, butterflies and snails.
11. Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Yellow-rumped warblers are one of the most common birds seen around the eastern United States. During the summer months, they can be easily spotted near the water bodies. They occupy the open spaces, which include forests and meadows in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. They also occupy places with deciduous forests, roadsides, grasslands and backyards.
These 4.7 to 5.9″ long birds, weighing 10 to 18 grams are easily distinguished from their yellow path on the crown, flanks, rump and the streaks on the back, wings which are blackish blue. During migration, they start consuming food that would get them through the harsh winter and long journey. To seek warm weather they travel to Mexico and during spring return north.
These birds prefer to eat insects, such as beetles, mosquitoes, spiders, flies, grasshoppers and flies. They also eat berries but their diet chart changes with the weather.
12. Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove is a non-migratory bird and native to North America. They also occupy the range from Canada to Central America and many spaces of the United States. This small-sized bird, weighing 170 grams, can be found in urban areas, dry scrublands, low vegetation areas and also around places where humans live.
They can be recognized by their light brown color and lighter pinkish shades. They have black spotted wings.
They mainly feed on seeds, grain, berries and other fruits. Their diet also consists of corn, millet, safflower, Rapeseed, sunflower seeds, pokeberry, sesame, and wheat
13. House Finches
House Finches are the most common bird found around North America and they spread across the East Coast to California and also around Alaska. These 5 to 6 ” long birds with a weight of 16 to 17 grams, can be found in the suburban areas, open fields and farmland, backyards, edges and parks.
They can be easily recognized from their reddish face and brown streak on the back, tail and belly.
They feed on grains, seeds, fruits and berries and their diet also consists of aphids, nettles, sunflowers and dandelions.
14. Gila Woodpecker
Gila woodpecker is part of the woodpecker family and they are found in the region of Mexico to Arizona and also includes New Mexico, southeastern California, and Southern Nevada. These 10 to 12″ birds weighing 65 grams are found around desert rivers, suburbs and towns. They are mostly seen around the oak grooves, oak-juniper forests, and chaparral shrublands, which are its natural habitat.
They are popular due to their unique singing ability and have a distinct grayish-brown border with a zebra pattern on the back, wings and tail. They have a white crest on the external wings which are black.
Their diet consists of most insects, spiders, scorpions, centipedes and tree sap, they also feed on cactus fruits, wide berries, flower seeds, and mistletoe.
15. White Crowned Sparrow
White-crowned sparrows are native to the Pacific Northwestern region of North America. These birds are small and they are also spotted in Southern Alaska, Washington, Oregon and northern California. They are mostly spotted in grasslands, brushy areas, mixed woodlands and coniferous forests.
These birds are 25 to 28 grams, 5.9 to 6.3 inches in length and can be easily disguised from their black and white stripes on the head. They have a gray face with a brown-streaked upper and a long tail. The underpart is gray and they have brown wings with bars.
The diet of this bird includes insects, wildflowers and fruits, like apples. The interesting fact is they migrate to Central America during the winter and with spring return back to the north.
16. Eurasian Collared Dove
Eurasian Collared Doves are predominantly found in Asia and Europe, but they can also be spotted in various parts of the globe. They are mostly found in the southeast part of the United States, which includes Florida and South Central United States. Slowly the bird group is also spreading towards the west coast, starting from California to Texas. These 13″ inches long birds with 150-gram weight can be easily spotted around urban centers, backyards, edges, yards, farms and parks. They can also be found flocking together in abandoned buildings.
These birds have a back half collar bar with a white patch on the neck and completely pinkish gray in color. The interesting fact is the younger birds intend to build strong pairs and so they are seen moving from one territory to another.
They must feed on millets, milo, wheat, corn, berries and sunflowers. These birds are also found to eat carrions and insects.
17. Black Phoebe
Black Phoebe is also known to be a tyrant flycatcher and these are known for their beauty. These birds occupy the southeastern Oregon and California region, they are also spotted throughout Central America and south of central Mexico. You can also find them near natural water sources, ponds, rivers and lakes and also in coastal cliffs, and parks.
These birds have a distinct black plumage, with patches of white on the belly and under its tail. The birds occupying the southern range are mostly seen to migrate, but the ones occupying the northern ranges are seen to migrate less. Also, these birds are quite active and build their nest in caves and small hollowed-out trees.
These 6.3-inch birds, weighing 16 to 22 grams have a varied diet, they feed on beetles, wasps, flies, moths, caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets and wild bees.
Which is the Most Common Bird Found in Arizona?
The most common bird spotted in Arizona is Mourning Dove and it occurs at a frequency of 47.01%. The second most common sighted bird is the House finch and the frequency is 45.94%.
What are Grackles in Arizona Known for?
The grackles are known for their loud squawks and these are the most noisy birds. you can hear them from a distance and they are spread across Arizona.
Are There Any Ground-Dwelling Birds in Arizona?
Yes, there are some ground-dwelling birds in Arizona which build their nest on the ground and it is their natural ability. these birds are – the cactus wren, the house wren, and the phainopepla
