There are so many locations in the West Valley alone that it can be hard to decide where to start. Compiled below is a short list of birding hotspots to visit, along with a brief description of what you may find there.
Base and Meridian Wildlife Area is located in Tolleson, near the Phoenix Raceway. Waterbirds are abundant. There are Neotropic Cormorants, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, American Pelicans, Cinnamon Teals, and Black Phoebes. Underneath the bridge, you may find Cliff Swallows and Barn Owls. Be sure not to disturb the owls when you visit.
The “Thrasher” Spot is located far west along Baseline Road and Salome Highway. As the name implies, there are thrashers. Bendire’s Thrasher and LeConte’s Thrasher are among the most common species. There are also Curve-billed Thrashers and Crissal’s Thrashers. Among these, there are also Abert’s Towhees, Gambel’s Quails, Loggerhead Shrikes, and Turkey Vultures.
White Tank Mountain Regional Park is in Waddell. Here there are Gilded Flickers, Gila Woodpeckers, Cactus Wrens, Black-throated Sparrows, Mourning Doves, and Verdins.
Below are additional hotspot maps that were showcased in previous virtual presentations.
Kathy Dashiell and Donna Smith’s “Birding Buckeye and Arlington in a Pandemic”
McBob and Steven Prager’s “Beginning Birding & Gila and Lower Salt River Birding in a Pandemic”
Read our West Valley Bird Watching Brochure below for a more in-depth overview of the best places to bird-watch in the West Valley. The brochure is printable as a PDF.
If you’re looking for even more hotspots, eBird is a citizen science project managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to document bird sightings and distribution. By contributing to eBird, you help scientists determine trends in bird populations and the effects of climate change. In return, eBird is able to pinpoint which areas are hotspots for species diversity, making your birding trips easier to plan and worthwhile. You can search for rarities on eBird as well. For ease while out birding, they have a mobile app that you can download. You can learn more about eBird on the eBird About page.