Area 1-Highway 87 (from Desert to the High Country)

The hotspots accessed all along Highway 87 (Beeline Highway) are some of best bets birding wise that Maricopa County has to offer. It's the most reliable place in the county where forests are accessible, and a separate set of birds can be found here as compared to anywhere else in the county. The cool pine and fir forests of Mount Ord and Slate Creek Divide offer a nice and close getaway from the heat, and they have breeding birds and habitat that is very limited in Maricopa County. Species such as Northern Pygmy-Owl, Red and White-breasted Nuthatches, Hairy Woodpeckers, Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Olive, Grace's, Virginia's, and Black-throated Gray Warblers; Painted Redstarts, as well as Western and Hepatic Tanagers are some breeding examples to name a few. Down lower in elevation, the good birding along Highway 87 doesn't end. Sycamore filled canyons such as the Sunflower area offer great birding at medium elevations all the way down to the lower sonoran desert/riparian forest where the excellent Mesquite Wash can be found. If your up for an exciting adventure in the birding world, then come and explore the birding hotspots of Highway 87!