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Birds of the Chiricahua Mountains

Southeastern Arizona near the Mexican border is the location of the Chiricahua Mountains. They are part of the Chiricahua National Monument which is run by the National Park Service. The mountains carry the name "Sky Islands" referring to the fact that they rise like islands from the surrounding grassland. The mountains provide a home for a range of native and migratory birds.

Mexican Birds
- The Chiricahua Mountains run approximately 35 miles with a peak summit of 9,795 feet according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The mountains are an extension of the Sierra Madre in Mexico. During the summer numerous species of Mexican birds cross the border and make the Chiricahua their summer breeding home. These include the elegant trogon, Mexican spotted owl, whiskered screech-owl and the Mexican chickadee. Species like the spotted owl are rare. with 10 pair plus a single bird sighted during a 2008 survey in the mountains.
Hummingbirds
- Thirteen species of hummingbirds call the Chiricahua Mountains home. Some species originate in Mexico, and the mountains offer the only opportunity to observe the hummingbirds in the United States. Hummingbird species include the white-eared , the blue-throated, the magnificent, the violet-crowned and the broad-tailed.
Hawks and Eagles
- An example of this type bird found in the Chiricahua Mountains is the golden eagle, which soars high above the mountains. Other raptors spotted in the mountains include the bald eagle, the sharp-shinned hawk, the cooper's hawk and the red-tailed hawk.
Woodpeckers
- Many woodpeckers inhabit or have been spotted in the Chiricahua Mountains, including the acorn, gila and ladder-backed. The mountains contain most of Arizona's population of another species, the Arizona woodpecker, according to the Audubon Society.

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