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Yuma sits at a unique crossroads of desert, river, and agricultural landscapes, making it surprisingly rich for birdwatching. The Colorado River corridor, surrounding wetlands, open desert habitats, and its mild winter climate all support a diverse variety of birds year-round, from resident desert species to seasonal migrants and wintering waterbirds.
Key Habitats
Key Habitats
River & Wetlands: The Colorado River and its restored wetlands are the heart of birding in the area. These green corridors attract herons, egrets, ducks, grebes, shorebirds, kingfishers, hawks, flycatchers, and migrating songbirds, especially during spring and fall.
Desert & Scrub: Outside the river, the Sonoran Desert supports species adapted to heat and dryness, including woodpeckers, thrashers, quail, roadrunners, and raptors.
Agricultural Fields: Farmland around Yuma can be excellent for shorebirds, blackbirds, hawks, killdeers, and wintering species that use open or flooded fields for feeding and resting.
Seasonal Birding
Seasonal Birding
Winter (Nov–Feb): Best time for ducks, geese, raptors, and large numbers of wintering waterbirds.
Spring (Mar–May): Migration peak. Warblers, tanagers, flycatchers, hummingbirds, and shorebirds pass through.
Summer (Jun–Aug): Few migrants, but strong desert activity including nesting species like Gila Woodpeckers, Greater Roadrunners, Gambel's Quail, and Verdins.
Fall (Sep–Oct): Second migration wave with shorebirds and songbirds moving south.
Top Birding Spots within and around Yuma:
Top Birding Spots within and around Yuma:
Local Yuma birding spots
Little Blue Heron at the S Ave 20E crossing
Birding spots within a 2-hour drive from Yuma
Mittry Lake
Picacho State Recreation Area
Cibola National Wildlife Refuge
Salton Sea & Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge
Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Cibola National Wildlife Refuge
A Field Guide of Common Birds in Yuma
A Field Guide of Common Birds in Yuma
We have created a two-page field guide to common birds in Yuma, available in both English and Spanish. A printable PDF version of the full guide can be downloaded below.
Southwestern Birders' Guidebooks
Southwestern Birders' Guidebooks
On January 1, 2025, Yuman birder Henry Detwiler began an Arizona Big Year, spending the next 365 days documenting birds across the state while sharing regular updates with fellow birders. By the end of the year, he recorded an impressive 405 species.
Henry has been birding since age 9 and has spent decades creating detailed birding guidebooks, including Southwest Arizona Bird Guide and Salton Sea & Imperial County Bird Guide.
Learn more about his work at southwestbirders.com.
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