For out-of-town visitors and those new to the Sonoran Desert, Tohono Chul’s easy-walking trails and beautiful gardens provide close-up looks at many of the typical birds of the Sonoran Desert. Of the more than 500 bird species that spend time in Arizona during the year, 140 are known to have visited Tohono Chul, and on any given morning you might see up to 15 species here.

All year long you can watch our state bird, the Cactus Wren, flit from cactus to tree and back again, chattering as he goes. Observe the Curved-billed Thrasher, with its saucy two-part whistle, scrabbling on the ground or nesting in cholla cactus. Enjoy our two year-round resident hummingbird species, Anna’s and Costa’s, as they dart about, feeding among the many colorful flowers. And be sure to look upward for a glimpse at our majestic Cooper’s Hawks, a pair of which has nested in the gardens for each of the last four years.

Meet at the Tohono Chul Admission Window. Limited to 10 participants.

Leader: Ray Deeney, Carol Massanari, and rotating Tohono Chul Docent Guides