Arizona
Cave Creek Canyon Birding At Portal
Program No. 11973RJ
Boasting awe-inspiring landscapes and some of the richest wildlife diversity in the nation, it’s easy to see why Cave Creek Canyon is a mecca for both birds and birders alike.
Enroll with Confidence
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
6 days
5 nights
15 meals
5B 5L 5D
6
Cave Creek Canyon, Program Concludes
Portal, AZ
At a Glance
One of the premier birding areas of the U.S., Cave Creek Canyon’s proximity to Mexico and unique highland habitat produce a rich mix of species. The Chiricahua Mountains provide a migration corridor above the surrounding desert and rise through seven life zones. Providing a wide range of ecosystems, it is one of only two sites in the U.S. where the Elegant Trogon nests and is home to 16 varieties of hummingbirds. Join a birding professional for daily field trips in our exploration of the mountains.
Activity Level
Outdoor: No Sweat
Walking up to one mile at a time; getting in/out of vans. Elevations of 8,000 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Journey to the San Simon Valley to view Bendire’s Thrashers and Inca Doves before searching local mountains for Mexican Chickadees and Painted Redstarts.
- Visit Cochise Lakes and the Willcox Playa, a habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds and a popular destination for birders.
- Dazzle in the spectacular views — and spot high-elevation birds — during a field trip to Rustler Park, located high in the Chiricahuas.
General Notes
All Road Scholar birding programs have a maximum participant-to-instructor ratio of 14:1 in the field. This program has a ratio of 8:1. We adhere to the American Birding Association’s Code of Ethics. Learn more at http://www.aba.org/about/ethics.html
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Matt Brown
Matt Brown has been a birding enthusiast from a young age! In elementary school, Matt taught birding ID to his fellow classmates. He went on to study psychology at Syracuse University before moving to Arizona in 1998 to pursue his passion of bird watching and bird leader. Locally, Matt has worked for the Nature Conservancy, Patagonia Lake State Park, Road Scholar and local birding and butterfly festivals. Since 2002, Matt has owned the Patagonia Birding & Butterfly Company offering custom birding and butterfly programs.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Matt Brown
View biography
Matt Brown has been a birding enthusiast from a young age! In elementary school, Matt taught birding ID to his fellow classmates. He went on to study psychology at Syracuse University before moving to Arizona in 1998 to pursue his passion of bird watching and bird leader. Locally, Matt has worked for the Nature Conservancy, Patagonia Lake State Park, Road Scholar and local birding and butterfly festivals. Since 2002, Matt has owned the Patagonia Birding & Butterfly Company offering custom birding and butterfly programs.
Sharon Goldwasser
View biography
Sharon Goldwasser became an avid birder and naturalist as a student at UC-Santa Cruz. She worked as a field biologist for several years, then moved to Tucson for graduate school in ecology where she studied song mimicry by Lesser Goldfinches. In 1987, she routed her career into education, bringing love of science to thousands of middle school students. Since retiring from the classroom in 2020, she has renewed her birding passion and is excited to share knowledge of birds and the ecology of southern Arizona.
Suggested Reading List
(8 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Cave Creek Canyon Birding At Portal
Program Number: 11973
Birding Arizona
Shrubs and Trees of the Southwest Uplands
Davis and Russell's Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona
Trogons of the Arizona Borderlands
Mountain Islands and Desert Seas: A Natural History of the U.S. Mexican Borderlands.
A Birder's Guide to Southeastern Arizona
Flowers of the Southwest Deserts
Field Guide to the Birds of North America. Third Edition.