Arizona birder Richard Cachor Taylor not only penned Birding in Arizona — a must-have pocket guide for birders of all skill levels — he's also the world's leading expert on the Elegant Trogon, a tropical, migratory species. His evolution from childhood curious birdwatcher to a bird expert and professional guide is an interesting one.

Taylor's book packs a punch with detailed descriptions and photographs of 500 species of birds found in Arizona — large or small, rare or common — and all are given equal prominence, from vultures and eagles to sparrows and warblers.

Here, Taylor shares his birding knowledge about birding in Northern Arizona.

Birding in Arizona: Sedona and the Verde Valley

Birds Found in This Region

Common Black Hawk, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Juniper Titmouse, Canyon Wren, Bullock's Oriole

Most Popular Birding Location

Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood

Hidden Gem Birding Spot

West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona

Don't-Miss Birding Events

Sedona Hummingbird Festival, Sedona
Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival, Cottonwood

Black Chinned Hummingbird. Credit: Fred Forssell, Courtesy of R W Morse Company.
Black Chinned Hummingbird. Credit: Fred Forssell, Courtesy of R W Morse Company.
Buy the Book

From Yuma to the Four Corners, Birds of Arizona (published by R.W. Morse, 2022) by Richard Cachor Taylor encompasses all the regularly occurring birds within Arizona and is available for sale on Amazon.

Iain Lundy

Iain Lundy spent 40 years as a newspaper and magazine journalist in his native Scotland. Now relocated to Arizona, he works as a content writer, editor and genealogist. He enjoys the great outdoors, family history and, like a true Scot, good beer and a fine malt whiskey. Read more of his bio and work at lundyink.com.

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