Because of its wildly diverse habitats and elevations, Graham County in southeastern Arizona has always been an explorer’s dream. Rarely in Arizona, or in other parts of the country, do you find such a diversity of natural life, with heights that careen from 2,400 feet at San Carlos Lake to nearly 11,000 feet at Mt. Graham, and habitats that range from Sonoran deserts to spruce-fir forests.

3 Million Acres

Graham County, which encompasses the towns of Pima, Thatcher and Safford, and the Gila River and Roper Lake State Park, is home to one of the richest bird habitats in the state – and the nation. Fewer than 100 miles north of the border with Sonora, Mexico, Graham County counts itself as home to more than 300 bird species, the highest count in the Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas.

Bird-watchers, in fact, have been flocking to Graham County almost as long as the American Avocets and Zone-tailed Hawks, to spy on loons and larks, pelicans and pipits and cormorants and cuckoos.

Visitors hoping for a bird’s-eye view of a particular favorite are seldom disappointed as they trek across Graham County’s three million acres and eight major birding habitats. Supporters and samplers of this ornithological trove say there are few places like it, and fewer places where unspoiled life exists “the way it ought to be,” in the words of the Graham County Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber, which publishes a detailed brochure of Graham County’s best birding spots, recognizes that the small towns and scenic parks nestled away from Arizona’s major cities is a haven for naturalists – a gem untouched by little except the gaze of the determined birder. “(Graham County) is rated one of the top spots in the country to view birds, so we came out with our own brochure, which includes more than 300 birds,” says Sheldon Miller, executive director of the Graham Chamber.

The guide, like the locale itself, has been a hit with bird-watchers. In fact, since its printing in 2002, three more birds have been discovered in the region. “Visitors can actually participate by calling in new sightings to our 888 number. We also post new sightings of birds that are unusual to the area on a Web site.”

All this attention has succeeded in making Graham County something of an avian mecca, a region ripe for the enthusiast or the day-tripper out for a peaceful hike and a peek at a rare picture of the wild.

“I’ve been in the chamber business for 20 years, and I’ve never seen a new tourism product so well received (as the brochure),” says Mr. Miller. “It’s good news indeed.”

Governor Napolitano added her support for the birding industry during a March speech to the Arizona Chamber of Commerce.

“We need to keep the Office of Tourism and the Department of Commerce,” Ms. Napolitano said. “What I challenge everyone to do is to look at the dollars we have [in those agencies] and really strategically target them to bring more dollars into the state.”

Boosting visits to the state can require a fresh look at who visits the state and why, the governor said. “We are a great habitat for birds,” Ms. Napolitano said. “And it may sound funny, but bird-watchers are great tourists. When we look at programs at the Game and Fish, and which ones produce the most revenue, it’s animal-watchers, primarily bird-watchers.” Yet, the state makes no particular pitch or appeal to nature-lovers in trying to attract tourists, Ms. Napolitano said.

Birding Lifers

The diversity of Graham County and of southern Arizona is good news, as well, for birders across the country, and the world. Often those looking to find their favorites have to travel far to catch a glimpse. “Some species are only in southeastern Arizona and Mexico,” says Sonja Macys, executive director of the Tucson Audubon Society. “If a birder from Arkansas wants to see a bird, they can only put it on their U.S. Life List if they see it in the U.S., so they have to come to Arizona.”

Like many tenets of bird-watching culture, the Life List is an exacting detail in which a birder creates a list of birds they’ve seen and/or heard in the U.S. To be accepted by the American Bird Conservancy, birds on a list must be viewed or heard in America.

The Life List is another reason that birders are trekking to Graham County and southeastern Arizona. With 530 resident and migratory birds documented in the state, and the majority of those found in the Graham County area, Arizona enjoys a reputation second only to Texas in terms of richness of bird diversity.

Birding a Big Draw

“Arizona is one of the best places to see birds in the country,” says Ms. Macys. “More people come to Arizona to bird-watch than to play golf.” As such, the Department of Tourism is starting to recognize and promote the draw of bird-watching, developing promotional materials and fielding calls about such rare finds as the Chestnut Crested Warbler and Botteri’s Sparrow, both rare and both are seen in the state.

To accommodate demand, firms willing to ferry watchers across the region have emerged. One, Gila Country Buggy Adventures, has discovered a burgeoning business in bringing birders close to nature. “This is a new niche for us,” says Earl Morcomb, owner of the firm with wife Linda.

“Our clients have really been thrilled. One in particular said it was 300 per cent better than expected.” Gila Country Buggy Adventures takes clients into the Gila Box and Bonita Creek regions, dropping them off at vantage points where they can hike into the wild for a bird-watcher’s feast. “We’ve seen black hawks, bald eagles and great horned owls nesting,” Mr. Morcomb says. “(The region) offers a unique opportunity in that it’s so much less touristed than other areas. It offers quiet and solitude, if that’s what you’re looking for in a birding experience.”

The cost of bringing birders to this backcountry isn’t prohibitive, Mr. Morcomb says. At about $10 an hour per person, an eight-hour excursion for two runs $160, including drinks and snacks, with meals thrown in for a few dollars more. Convenience is a key element, but Mr. Morcomb says the richness of life is its own best bargain. “I let nature sell itself – that’s my thing,” he says. “It’s an oasis in the middle of the high country desert at Bonita Creek, with willows, sycamores, black walnuts, cottonwoods and, of course, mesquite. It’s like a little jungle. It’s a very pristine natural area.”

Diversity Year-round

It’s also close to the Mexican border, a fact that doubly excites Life Listing bird-watchers. “People who keep bird-watching lists can find a number of Mexican species in southeastern Arizona that they can’t find elsewhere in the U. S.,” says Bill Grossi, wildlife program leader with an Arizona office of the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Mr. Grossi points to the richness of Graham County and the Coronado National Forest for birding and other outdoor activities. Of course, the other areas of southeast Arizona are ripe with opportunity, including the Santa Catalina, Huachuca and Chiricahua mountain ranges, and the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area near Sierra Vista.

In Graham County, the BLM created a bird-viewing area on the Bonita Creek in the new Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area, including a trail winding through a canopy of trees that brings birders to eye-level with subjects. And it is handicap accessible. “It’s a very nice spot,” says Mr. Grossi.

One wouldn’t think the area nice in the summer, but according to officials at the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory (SABO) in Bis
bee, the late summer rainy season is one of the most rewarding times for birding, featuring hummingbirds, Cassin’s and Botteri’s sparrows and various Mexican strays.

“Most non-birders would think you’re crazy to visit Arizona in July or August,” reads information on the observatory’s website “But summer can be very productive in the mountains.”

The Trail

The Southeastern Arizona Birding Trail is a highway route linking the best birding sites in southeastern Arizona. The trail map designates the route and highlights the sites and birding opportunities. Future developments will include highway signs, auto turnouts, trails, boardwalks, observation platforms, viewing blinds and bird habitat improvements.

The birding trail idea was pioneered in Texas and will bring a great deal of value to Arizona birders. The first edition of the trail map was published in 2000, and other improvements are anticipated between now and 2005.

The main trail will start in Tucson, and will then loop south and east to the Mexico and New Mexico borders. Loops and spurs will extend from the main loop to sites in the Sulphur Springs Valley near Safford, and to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge.

The Experience

Regardless of whether you strike out on your own, follow the trail, or join a field trip or tour, there’s a particular protocol to be followed when birding, enthusiasts say. Most important is to keep the fragile nature of the birding environment in mind. Though the area attracts a rich diversity of birds, ignorance of regional needs could end the treasure hunt established in southern Arizona. “There’s much of importance to bird-watching and being out in nature,” says Ms. Macys. “We’ve also learned that without conservation of birding habitats, we won’t have the opportunity to look at them any longer.” —