2024 Northern Arizona – The Grand Canyon and Condors

Mount Ord, located in the Mazatzal Mountains northeast of Phoenix, offers us a great chance of finding several unique species, such as Grey Vireo and Black-chinned Sparrow. Covered in chaparral and juniper scrub, the lower slopes of this mountain, are often alive with bird song in the morning, and we will hopefully obtain views of some dry country specials such as Phainopepla and Scott’s Oriole. Our next targets are Common Black and Zone-tailed Hawks which are two uncommon to rare raptors in the United States and we’ll be searching for them along the Old Beeline Highway. They both breed in a lovely riparian area along Sycamore Creek, which runs along the historic highway. While driving in this beautiful area, we will keep our eyes peeled for a potential Greater Roadrunner or even a covey of Gambel’s Quails scurrying by.

As the temperatures begin to warm up, we will say goodbye to the desert and start our journey towards the mountains further north. We will be based in Flagstaff for the next three nights which is a lovely city riddled with urban parks, weaved together with a system of forest corridors and an extensive urban trail system, providing us with excellent birding opportunities. The afternoon and evening will be spent exploring a few of these fantastic areas and hopefully tracking down some great western species, such as the bizarre Lewis’s Woodpecker.

Overnight: Flagstaff

The Vermilion Cliffs National Monument encompass a massive area of almost 300,000 acres and are found in the far northern reaches of Arizona. These cliffs are well-known amongst birders as the most reliable area in recent years for our top target and one of the world’s most-wanted birds, California Condor. We will perhaps spend the better part of the day, if needed, searching for this iconic raptor while enjoying the incredibly scenic views on offer. While scanning the cliffs and searching for the condor, we hope to encounter a few other smaller raptors such as Peregrine Falcon and Zone-tailed Hawk. After a hopefully successful Vermilion Cliffs trip, we will head back to Flagstaff for some evening birding to roundoff the day.

Overnight: Flagstaff

Today will be an incredible day as we visit the world-famous Grand Canyon which is carved by the mighty Colorado River. The Grand Canyon is visually overwhelming for both its immense size and colorful rock walls. We will visit the South Rim to enjoy this remarkable geological feature while also looking for several Great Basin bird targets. With some luck, we will score another sighting of California Condor, soaring and roaming over the canyon.  On our way to and from the great abyss, we will make a few stops in the surrounding pinyon-juniper woodland habitat for further specials such as Pinyon Jay, Juniper Titmouse, White-throated Swift and more.

Overnight: Flagstaff

This morning we will explore a mosaic of alpine meadows, groves of aspen and pine, and burnt fields of tree snags, which creates a habitat for an assortment of birds more typical of the Great Basin than the Sierra Madre of Mexico (and barely into the United States). We spend most of the day exploring this alpine habitat via several sites in the San Francisco Peaks for species such as Green-tailed Towhee, American Dusky Flycatcher, and Mountain Bluebird. We will also scan all tree snags in the area for woodpeckers such as the uncommon American Three-toed Woodpecker and the boldly patterned Williamson’s Sapsucker. In the late afternoon, once we have finished birding the above alpine habitat, we will make a visit to the Kachina Wetlands just south of town where we will target Yellow-headed Blackbird and Virginia Rail, before heading back to Phoenix for our final evening.

Overnight: Phoenix

Our northern Arizona tour concludes this morning with a drop off at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Some tour participants may have joined from our southeast Arizona tour and thus transport to the Tucson airport can be arranged, if needed. We hope you enjoyed the spectacular birds and remarkable views on offer in this region of Arizona.

 

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling.

YES! – This tour will depart Tucson at noon. One of our first targets is only a few minutes from from the airport.

Most participants choose to arrive in Tucson one day prior to the beginning of the tour. This helps to eliminate any possible conflict with a delayed or cancelled flight. This night is not included in the tour fee. Please consult about the full details of this arrangement when you begin the tour registration process.

Check the weather for the destination as close to your departure date as possible, and dress accordingly for your comfort level. You can also review our What to Bring page for more information.

There are many items the will be useful to you while on a Bird Treks tour. We have put together our list of recommendations on the What to Bring page.

Our tours are all conducted in English, but we do have some experience working with client that don’t speak English well – Some English would be needed for safety reasons. In locations where another language is predominately spoken, a native guide may accompany the tour.

Yes, we will always try our best to help with anything at all! We’re here to serve you. However, it is usually easier if you book your flight through your own travel agent as we can’t always get the best deals from your particular country. But we will help whenever needed!

While Day 1 is usually a travel (arrival) day, and the last day of the tour is usually also a travel day (departure), many people do like to arrive early and/or leave late. We can indeed book extra nights before and after the trip, and we in fact recommend you let us book them, as it avoids confusion and allows us to book the accommodation that is most convenient for the tour.

NOTE: Most often it is the same hotel or lodge that you use on the first night of the tour, but in some instances, it could be an airport hotel or an accommodation establishment where the guide is staying.

No, we do not. We find that it is better for trip participants to purchase their own medical, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance through their own insurance provider in the country they reside in. We expect all tour participants to have comprehensive insurance, and we encourage everyone to send us a copy of their insurance documents.

For most tours, meals are included in the tour price. This may include a hotel-provided breakfast, or guide-provided box lunches. For dinners, we strive to find interesting and delicious local restaurants – this allows us to give back to the local economy, and find exciting new place to eat.

You may participate in the 5-day extension with the regular 12-day tour, or take either tour separately. Simply tell us your preference: 5 days, 12 days, or the full 17 days.