Bird-Watching in Tucson

The naturalist and illustrator Roger Tory Peterson (1908-96) considered Tucson one of the country's top birding spots, and avid "life listers"—birders who keep a list of all the birds they've sighted and identified—soon see why. In the early morning and early evening, Sabino Canyon is alive with cactus and canyon wrens, hawks, and quail. Spring and summer, when species of migrants come in from Mexico, are great hummingbird seasons. In the nearby Santa Rita Mountains and Madera Canyon, you can see elegant trogons nesting in early spring. The area also supports species usually found only in higher elevations.

You can get the latest word on the bird on the 24-hour line at the Tucson Audubon Society (520/798-1005. www.tucsonaudubon.org); sightings of rare or interesting birds in the area are recorded regularly.

The society's Audubon Nature Shop (300 E. University Blvd., Suite 120, University. 520/629-0510) carries field guides, bird feeders, binoculars, and natural-history books. The Wild Bird Store (3526 E. Grant Rd., Central. 520/322-9466) is an excellent resource for bird-watching books, maps, and trail guides.