Birds in Nature - images of wild birds by Richard Ditch

Arizona Birding Books

Since Arizona is one of the premier birding locations in the US, there is an abundance of books focused on Arizona birds and birding locations. I admit to being an information junkie, so I buy and read a lot of books. But I still don't have all the books covering Arizona locations.

Here are a number that I do have and my thoughts on them. I've also included one that I don't have (yet) but that many others have recommended. Since these are books in my collection there is no guarantee that they are the most recent edition. If you go shopping for any of them you'll want the latest, so don't be concerned if what you find has a different cover or later date than what I show here.

I've tried to include sources for most of these, but I'm not in the business of selling books. Many of these are carried in the gift shops of places birders visit in Arizona such as Boyce Thompson Arboretum, the San Pedro House, and The Nature Conservancy at Ramsey Canyon or Hassayampa. I always check the shelves when I find a new place like this. Tucson Audubon has a very nice store that's worth a visit if you're around Tucson. There's a well stocked store in Patagonia as well. The Maricopa Audubon Society has a large selection of books available at their monthly meetings. Although I don't mention these places in each of the entries on these pages they are all possible sources deserving of birder patronage.

The Birds of Arizona, Allan Phillips, Joe Marshall, and Gale Monson, University of Arizona Press, 1964.

Although dated, this remains the essential book for information about the status and seasonal distribution of birds in Arizona. The text covers all known races of each species known to have occurred in AZ as of the date of publication. Any specimens are discussed. Date and place of observation are given for all rarities. Maps included.

Long out-of-print, copies can still be found in used book shops, by internet searches, and occasionally are offered for sale on the AZ listserv.

A Birder's Guide to Southeastern Arizona, Richard Cachor Taylor, American Birding Association, 1995. There's probably a later edition by now, so don't be surprised by a different cover.

The ABA/Lane guide series is well known to birders everywhere, and Jim Lane's very first guide covered southeastern AZ. Anybody planning a trip to the part of AZ generally south and east of Tucson is well advised to have the latest copy of this book that contains descriptions of and directions to the most productive areas. Detailed maps are provided. Extensive bar charts at the back show the abundance and chances of seeing each species by month. There's even a handy point-to-point mileage guide.

Additional features include detailed information on regional specialties, and a listing of other wildlife that might be encountered.

Weaknesses of the book (and the series) for me are that the narrative often gets too "chatty," which I sometimes find annoying, and the book assumes that users will be following a specific route. This loop approach is fine for people making their first visit to Arizona, but makes it more difficult for resident birders to find information about any individual site.

Available from the ABA and from Tucson Audubon Society.

Davis and Russell's Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona, Tucson Audubon Society, 1999.

Quite similar in content and coverage to the ABA guide. Less chatty, and not based on presumed tour routes. Includes maps, bar charts, details of other fauna that may be encountered. Nice features include easily found elevation information for each location, and directions for getting there (I wish the later editions had retained the pale yellow highlighting feature that made finding these directions even easier).

As an AZ resident, I use this guide more often than I do the ABA guide.

Available from the ABA and from Tucson Audubon Society.

Birds of Phoenix and Maricopa County, Arizona, Janet Witzeman, Salome Demaree, and Eleanor Radke, Maricopa Audubon Society, 1997.

In the style of the TAS guide, but covering the Phoenix metro area 100 miles north of Tucson. In addition to the expected location details are a Birding Calendar that offers suggestions for each month, Species Accounts and Bar Charts, and photos of regional rarities.

Available from the ABA, from Tucson Audubon Society, and in select area bookstores and nature shops.

"Birds-Eye" Guide to 101 Birding Sites (Phoenix), Michael J. Rupp, 2002.

A compact and very handy guide to major, minor, and obscure locations in the Phoenix area. Aerial photos of each location are annotated with street names, parking lots, etc. to make finding and covering a spot easy and convenient. The slim design makes this slip into a pocket for use along the trails. A information panel is provided for each site with details on elevation, ownership, entry fees, etc.

The compact nature precludes lots of detail about specific birds at each location, or seasonal bar charts. A list of county birds is provided without seasonal data.

Available from the author's web site.

A Birder's Guide to Metropolitan Areas of North America, Paul Lehman (editor), American Birding Association, 2001.

Designed primarily for the birder who visits a number of metro areas on business, this guide provides information on 33 major locations in the US and Canada. Each chapter has one or more maps and relevant information about birding in the area covered.

Of interest to the birder visiting Arizona is a chapter on Phoenix that I wrote with the help of expert local birders.

Available from the ABA.

The Raptors of Arizona, Richard L. Glinski (editor), University of Arizona Press, 1998.
This expensive book contains detailed essays from 27 experts on 42 species of hawks, owls, and vultures that occur or have occurred in AZ. Distribution maps are provide for each entry. Splendid full page color paintings by Richard Sloan, showing each bird in appropriate habitat, are included.

AZ resident birders will find this interesting and informative.

Available in select local bookstores.

Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley, Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson, University of Arizona Press, 1991.

A thorough treatment of birds seen along the 200 mile stretch of the Colorado River that separates AZ from California. Eleven pages provide a detailed strip map, with numbers referenced to details in the text. Includes seasonal bar charts, species accounts, and photos of local rarities.

Expensive, but informative, and worth study for anyone venturing to Arizona's "west coast."

The Western Bird Watcher, Kevin J. Zimmer, Prentice-Hall, 1985.

Not a site guide, nor specially about Arizona. But, a valuable collection of field identification fine points focusing on problematic birds of the American West. This book should be in every western birder's library, and anyone visiting Arizona for the first time would do well to study it in advance to minimize common misidentification problems.
Unfortunately, this book has been long out-of-print. I occasionally stumble on a copy in bookstores, but it would be easier to employ a book-finding agent.

Birding in the American West, also by Kevin J. Zimmer, from Comstock Publishing Associates, 2000, is the book that replaces the one I have. I haven't had a chance to study it, but based on this version, though, I'd recommend the new one.

National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southwestern States, Peter Alden and Peter Freiderici, Alfred A. Knopf, 1999.

A guide to the natural world of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada. I ignore the 70+ pages of birds and use it instead for everything else: snakes and lizards, wild flowers, and mammals. It's not complete in any area, but a compact and handy overview to lots of stuff I find of interest in my daily birding expeditions.

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	The Birds of Arizona, Allan Phillips, Joe Marshall, and Gale Monson, University of Arizona Press, 1964. Although dated, this remains the essential book for information about the status and seasonal distribution of birds in Arizona. The text covers all known races of each species known to have occurred in AZ as of the date of publication. Any specimens are discussed. Date and place of observation are given for all rarities. Maps included. Long out-of-print, copies can still be found in used book shops, by internet searches, and occasionally are offered for sale on the AZ listserv.
	A Birder's Guide to Southeastern Arizona, Richard Cachor Taylor, American Birding Association, 1995. There's probably a later edition by now, so don't be surprised by a different cover. The ABA/Lane guide series is well known to birders everywhere, and Jim Lane's very first guide covered southeastern AZ. Anybody planning a trip to the part of AZ generally south and east of Tucson is well advised to have the latest copy of this book that contains descriptions of and directions to the most productive areas. Detailed maps are provided. Extensive bar charts at the back show the abundance and chances of seeing each species by month. There's even a handy point-to-point mileage guide. Additional features include detailed information on regional specialties, and a listing of other wildlife that might be encountered. Weaknesses of the book (and the series) for me are that the narrative often gets too "chatty," which I sometimes find annoying, and the book assumes that users will be following a specific route. This loop approach is fine for people making their first visit to Arizona, but makes it more difficult for resident birders to find information about any individual site. Available from the ABA and from Tucson Audubon Society.
	Davis and Russell's Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona, Tucson Audubon Society, 1999. Quite similar in content and coverage to the ABA guide. Less chatty, and not based on presumed tour routes. Includes maps, bar charts, details of other fauna that may be encountered. Nice features include easily found elevation information for each location, and directions for getting there (I wish the later editions had retained the pale yellow highlighting feature that made finding these directions even easier). As an AZ resident, I use this guide more often than I do the ABA guide. Available from the ABA and from Tucson Audubon Society.
	Birds of Phoenix and Maricopa County, Arizona, Janet Witzeman, Salome Demaree, and Eleanor Radke, Maricopa Audubon Society, 1997. In the style of the TAS guide, but covering the Phoenix metro area 100 miles north of Tucson. In addition to the expected location details are a Birding Calendar that offers suggestions for each month, Species Accounts and Bar Charts, and photos of regional rarities. Available from the ABA, from Tucson Audubon Society, and in select area bookstores and nature shops.
	"Birds-Eye" Guide to 101 Birding Sites (Phoenix), Michael J. Rupp, 2002. A compact and very handy guide to major, minor, and obscure locations in the Phoenix area. Aerial photos of each location are annotated with street names, parking lots, etc. to make finding and covering a spot easy and convenient. The slim design makes this slip into a pocket for use along the trails. A information panel is provided for each site with details on elevation, ownership, entry fees, etc. The compact nature precludes lots of detail about specific birds at each location, or seasonal bar charts. A list of county birds is provided without seasonal data. Available from the author's web site.
	A Birder's Guide to Metropolitan Areas of North America, Paul Lehman (editor), American Birding Association, 2001. Designed primarily for the birder who visits a number of metro areas on business, this guide provides information on 33 major locations in the US and Canada. Each chapter has one or more maps and relevant information about birding in the area covered. Of interest to the birder visiting Arizona is a chapter on Phoenix that I wrote with the help of expert local birders. Available from the ABA.
	The Raptors of Arizona, Richard L. Glinski (editor), University of Arizona Press, 1998. This expensive book contains detailed essays from 27 experts on 42 species of hawks, owls, and vultures that occur or have occurred in AZ. Distribution maps are provide for each entry. Splendid full page color paintings by Richard Sloan, showing each bird in appropriate habitat, are included. AZ resident birders will find this interesting and informative. Available in select local bookstores.
	Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley, Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson, University of Arizona Press, 1991. A thorough treatment of birds seen along the 200 mile stretch of the Colorado River that separates AZ from California. Eleven pages provide a detailed strip map, with numbers referenced to details in the text. Includes seasonal bar charts, species accounts, and photos of local rarities. Expensive, but informative, and worth study for anyone venturing to Arizona's "west coast."
	The Western Bird Watcher, Kevin J. Zimmer, Prentice-Hall, 1985. Not a site guide, nor specially about Arizona. But, a valuable collection of field identification fine points focusing on problematic birds of the American West. This book should be in every western birder's library, and anyone visiting Arizona for the first time would do well to study it in advance to minimize common misidentification problems. Unfortunately, this book has been long out-of-print. I occasionally stumble on a copy in bookstores, but it would be easier to employ a book-finding agent. Birding in the American West, also by Kevin J. Zimmer, from Comstock Publishing Associates, 2000, is the book that replaces the one I have. I haven't had a chance to study it, but based on this version, though, I'd recommend the new one.
	National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southwestern States, Peter Alden and Peter Freiderici, Alfred A. Knopf, 1999. A guide to the natural world of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada. I ignore the 70+ pages of birds and use it instead for everything else: snakes and lizards, wild flowers, and mammals. It's not complete in any area, but a compact and handy overview to lots of stuff I find of interest in my daily birding expeditions.