One of the hallmarks of trying to understand and interpret nature is the ability to find, identify, and learn the behavior of birds. True, we also strive to know plants, mammals, snakes, rocks, and much more. But few topics fire our imagination like watching birds!
What is it about birds that so excites the naturalist and ornithologist? For starters, there are a lot of them—some 10,000 species in the world, approximately 1,000 recorded in the U.S., and about 500 thus far noted in Arizona.
March is truly a month of transition for our Sky Island birds. True, April through May is peak migration time for many species, but March holds it own, special allure. Many early migrants begin to spill into our area from their wintering grounds further south and a keen eye might reveal a few surprises.
Waterfowl are on the move, and the daily flavors of the day can change quite rapidly at Patagonia Lake. One day a raft of Lesser Scaup might rule the roost, numerically speaking, with a good five to eight other species thrown in for good measure. Another day Norther Shovelers may well be the most abundant duck at the lake.
Raptors that had mostly disappeared in the fall can once again call our sublime Sky islands home. Our breeding pair of Gray Hawks soar back into their mesquite bosque to breed like clockwork each March. We may be able to follow the aerial antics of Zone-tailed and Common Black Hawks if they arrive here in March. I suspect that they will, given our above-average temperatures of late, though that late frost may still kick us hard!
Meanwhile, some wintering raptors, such as Merlins and Ferruginous Hawks, in an effort to reach their own breeding grounds, could call March their final month in our haunts.
Just as March is notoriously schizophrenic for weather, the presence of various bird species—influenced in part by the climate—can be rather erratic during this month. Warm temperatures may push some birds north rather quickly, while the inevitable cold snap can delay others from coming or departing, depending upon the species. This year, I already heard and saw my first poorwill near home in mid-February—weeks earlier than I anticipated that species. As March progresses, listen at dusk for the arrival of Elf Owls, our diminutive, nocturnal hunters. The males will soon be scoping out hollow Arizona sycamore trees for nesting. Black and Turkey Vultures, though already here, will widen their geographic reach as things warm up. Various hummingbird species had better heed the early warmth, particularly this year, as the local ocotillos seem hellbent on flowering very early.
As a group, perhaps flycatchers take the prize for the greatest seasonal flux, as many are distant neotropical migrants. Kingbirds, Northern Beardless Tyrannulets, pee wees, various empids, and others join the small handful of species that glean a living for what passes as winter in these parts. Vireos, warblers, swallows, thrushes, and icterids all conspire to swell our avian ranks in March, even as many wintering sparrows prepare for their annual move north.
All in all, March helps to heighten my passion for birds, as old friends return and others depart. As far as I’m concerned you can keep your hoop games; I’ll be outside with my binoculars!
Vincent Pinto and his wife, Claudia, run Raven’s Way Wild Journeys. They offer local tours dedicated to the preservation of the incredible biodiversity in the Sky Islands.