Kathy Hughes observes a wild turkey that thinks it belongs at Cross Creek Cottages instead of with a flock in the wild. Photo by John Hughes

The first Patagonia Christmas Bird Count was held on December 26, 1962. There were five participants. This year on December 19, 42 birders from Patagonia, Sonoita, Hereford, Rio Rico, Tucson, Alaska and Ohio met up to count the area’s birds. The day started for many at the Gathering Ground, which kindly opens early for those who want coffee and breakfast before they head out. The day ends in the back room of the Wagon Wheel Saloon for dinner and sharing what birds were seen. We are grateful for the support of these two local businesses. 

The number of individual birds seen has been down the last few years. A few of the Bird Count areas reported noise from mining activity and a favorite birding spot, Bog Hole, has had access cut off by the Vaca Ranch. Overall, area private land owners and town businesses welcome the annual bird counters and support the project. 

Although the day started off cold, the sun soon warmed the temperatures. Volunteers enjoyed a beautiful Arizona day collecting data that will be used to access the health of bird populations and help guide conservation action. 


Northern Shoveler 10 

American Wigeon 1 

Mallard 14 

Mexican form 7 

Northern Pintail 1 

Green-winged Teal 14 

Bufflehead (CW*) 4 

Scaled Quail 1 

Gambel’s Quail 7 

Montezuma Quail 1 

Wild Turkey 15 

Band-tailed Pigeon 5 

Eurasian Collared-Dove 49 

Inca Dove 26 

Common Ground-Dove (CW*) 4 

White-winged Dove 106 

Mourning Dove 160 

Greater Roadrunner 6 

Anna’s Hummingbird 30 

Broad-billed Hummingbird 6 

Violet-crowned Hummingbird 3 

Killdeer 1 

Great Egret 1 

Black Vulture 17 

White-tailed Kite 3 

Golden Eagle 2 

Northern Harrier 8 

Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 

Cooper’s Hawk 5 

Red-tailed Hawk 35 

Ferruginous Hawk 1 

Western Screech-Owl 2 

Great Horned Owl 3 

Northern Pygmy-Owl 1 

Belted Kingfisher 2 

Acorn Woodpecker 77 

Gila Woodpecker 75 

Red-naped Sapsucker 14 

Red-breasted/hybrid 

Sapsucker (CW*) 1 

Ladder-backed Woodpecker 46 

Arizona Woodpecker 10 

Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 64 

American Kestrel 7 

Peregrine Falcon 3 

Prairie Falcon (CW*) 1 

Northern Beardless-Tyranulet 1 

Cassin’s Kingbird 24 

Hammond’s Flycatcher 10 

Gray Flycatcher 3 

Dusky Flycatcher 1 

Cordilleran Flycatcher 1 

Black Phoebe 15 

Say’s Phoebe 35 

Eastern Phoebe 1 

Loggerhead Shrike 4 

Hutton’s Vireo 17 

Cassin’s Vireo 3 

Plumbeous Vireo 2 

Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay 5 

Mexican Jay 180 

Chihuahuan Raven 31 

Common Raven 302 

Raven sp. 135 

Horned Lark 45 

Bridled Titmouse 208 

Verdin 19 

Bushtit 164 

White-breasted Nuthatch 110 

Brown Creeper 1 

Rock Wren 15 

Canyon Wren 17 

House Wren 9 

Bewick’s Wren 115 

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher 2 

Black-capped Gnatcatcher 5 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 247 

Eastern Bluebird 40 

Western Bluebird 25 

Hermit Thrush 29 

American Robin 1 

Curve-billed Thrasher 18 

Crissal Thrasher 3 

Northern Mockingbird 1 

Cedar Waxwing 44 

Phainopepla 40 

Olive Warbler 1 

House Sparrow 31 

House Finch 192 

Pine Siskin 68 

Lesser Goldfinch 180 

Chestnut-collared Longspur (CW*) 1 

Green-tailed Towhee 8 

Spotted Towhee 52 

Rufous-crowned Sparrow 18 

Canyon Towhee 46 

Abert’s Towhee 25 

Rufous-winged Sparrow 4 

Chipping Sparrow 856 

Brewer’s Sparrow 1 

Vesper Sparrow 8 

Lark Sparrow 41 

Black-throated Sparrow 4 

Savannah Sparrow 5 

Grasshopper Sparrow 3 

Five-striped Sparrow 3 

Baird’s Sparrow 1 

Song Sparrow 34 

Lincoln’s Sparrow 32 

White-throated Sparrow 3 

White-crowned Sparrow 129 

Dark-eyed Junco 340 

Oregon Junco 11 

Pink-sided Junco 10 

Gray-headed Junco 141 

Yellow-eyed Junco 1 

Eastern Meadowlark (Lilian’s) 66 

Western Meadowlark 1 

Meadowlark sp 2 

Scott’s Oriole 1 

Red-winged Blackbird 48 

Brown-headed Cowbird 1 

Brewer’s Blackbird 82 

Louisiana Waterthrush 1 

Black-and-white Warbler 1 

Orange-crowned Warbler 8 

Yellow-rumped Warbler 172 

Audubon’s 57 

Myrtles 1 

Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 

Townsend’s Warbler 2 

Hepatic Tanager 5 

Northern Cardinal 35 

Pyrrhuloxia 24 

Lazuli Bunting (CW*) 1 

Total Species = 121, plus 6 CW sp 

Total of 5,291 individual birds observed. 

*CW – Seen during “Count Week,” which extends three days before the count and three days after the count but not seen on the day of the count.