When watching a group of Sandhill Cranes did you ever wish you knew more about these elegant birds, what theyre doing and why? Crane Basics is your opportunity to learn more about crane biology and behavior. You will gain insights into crane migration, family life, body language and vocalizations through our photographs and captivating video. Its knowledge that will significantly enhance your crane watching experience!

The Horseshoe 2 Fire was a 2011 wildfire located in the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona.  The fire was started by human activities, and burned over 240,000 acres making it the fifth largest wildlife in Arizona history.  Doug and Kate will be sharing examples of the impact of fire on the Sky Islands from one of the largest wildland fires to impact this area in recorded history.  In addition, they will be highlighting the survey work and partnerships the Forest utilizes to evaluate bird species occurrence which supports Forest Plan implementation and project implementation, such as fuels management for long term habitat improvement. 

 Some raptors puzzle even the experts, but with some tips, you can narrow down the probable choices, and with some practice, nail most identifications. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll talk about the different families of raptors commonly found in Arizona, when to expect them, how their shapes differ for their hunting styles, and resources for more information.

Karen has studied bats for more than 40 years. Learn about this exciting and unique nocturnal mammal and how it is so successful as a predator and pollinator. There are more than 1,100 species of bats that occur worldwide. Bats are an important part of our ecosystems and deserve our respect and admiration. Echolocation allows a bat to fly in total darkness to locate, chase, and capture flying insects. Bridges and other human structures are important roost habitat for many species of bats. Nectar bats visit and pollinate columnar cactus and succulents in our area. 

Flying silently like ghosts, owls go about their nightly errands under cover of darkness, usually unseen by us. Even so, they are instantly recognizable with their large heads and big eyes. Why do owls have such big heads?  No other bird does. Owls are designed around their adaptations to a nocturnal lifestyle. Yet these adaptations also present problems. Nature evolves ingenious solutions to these problems and the true story is far more intriguing than the many myths that surround owls.  Join Pinau Merlin for an engaging and fascinating look into the lifestyles and adaptive strategies of these amazing raptors of the night. 

Learn more about the birds that started our birding festival – everything you wanted to know about the oldest (going back more than 65 million years) and one of America’s most magnificent birds.

When watching a group of Sandhill Cranes did you ever wish you knew more about these elegant birds, what theyre doing and why? Crane Basics is your opportunity to learn more about crane biology and behavior. You will gain insights into crane migration, family life, body language and vocalizations through our photographs and captivating video. Its knowledge that will significantly enhance your crane watching experience!

This year National Park Service staff at Chiricahua National Monument, the Wonderland of Rocks, will be commemorating the park centennial April 18. Park Ranger, Suzanne Moody, will share how and why the monument was established in 1924, what there is to see and do, plus the special events scheduled throughout this historic year.

Eric will share a system of bird identification he has developed that uses behavior as a primary determinant in lieu of using plumage.  Birding plumage often confuses birders as you have to learn the variations of plumage within each species, such as male plumage, female plumage, juvenile plumage, and breeding plumage vs. winter plumage.  Eric's seminar will discuss how bird behavior remains constant within each given species, whether it is a male, female, juvenile, breeding season or winter.  This unique method of bird identification will provide you with another tool for bird identification.  

Wait! Those ducks don’t all look alike! What are those smaller ones? How do you tell all those brown ones apart? How about that one with a tuft on its head? And what about things that look and act like ducks and aren’t (coots, grebes and cormorants)? Focusing on the common species that spend their winters on ponds in southern Arizona, we’ll parse through a dozen or more species of waterfowl to give you pointers – and confidence – about what you’re seeing.

Southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico are the only locations in the United States where jaguars have been sighted in the past twenty years. In late 2016, one jaguar was in the Huachuca Mountains and the other in the Dos Cabezas. Earlier that year a video surfaced of a third jaguar in the Santa Rita Mountains. Although the Huachucas’ jaguar came to a bad end in Mexico, its return there was biologically significant, and the Santa Ritas jaguar returned to Mexico as well but survived. Meantime, the Dos Cabezas jaguar has persisted south of Willcox, and recently a new trail camera image has surfaced of another jaguar in the Huachcuas, although it remains unclear if it is a new individual. This presentation will examine how the presence of these endangered species in the region pose unique challenges for wildlife and land managers, and how they are even more popular among the general public given the rise in use of trail cameras. 

Explore the surprising world of rattlesnake families through a series of vignettes and videos. Experience a day in the life of a rattlesnake family to discover how they care for and defend their babies. Learn about babysitting, drinking, and other lesser-known aspects of rattlesnake behavior too. Let's take a journey into the unique and exciting realm of our scaley neighbors!