Join the ABA for a week devoted to one of the most rewarding and most underestimated groups of birds in North America. This is a workshop as much as a tour: seven days spent learning how to identify sparrows, towhees, and longspurs by structure, plumage, and voice, how to read the habitats that hold them, and what those habitats need in order to keep holding them.
Southeastern Arizona supports a remarkable sparrow community. Resident species breed in the semi-desert grasslands and riparian corridors, and each autumn wintering birds arrive from the northern plains and settle into the same country. Early November places us in the middle of that turnover, with residents on territory and migrants arriving.
The emphasis throughout is on field skills and ornithological understanding rather than on species totals. The week is built as a blend of extended field time and structured indoor sessions, each reinforcing the other. The aim is that participants leave able to work out sparrows for themselves, in their own patches, long after the week is over.
Quick overview
Dates
November 1 – 7, 2027
Number of days and nights
7 days / 6 nights
Start and end point
Starting: November 1, 2027. Tucson International Airport (TUS). Plan to arrive by noon. The group then travels to Casa de San Pedro together.
Finishing: November 7, 2027. Tucson International Airport (TUS). Plan your onward travel from Tucson no earlier than 4 PM.
Group size
Minimum number of participants: 6
Maximum number of participants: 20
Brief itinerary
Terms and Conditions for ABA Travel and Events
Price pp in double/twin room
Single supplement
Included
Excluded
Itinerary
We are based for the week at Casa de San Pedro in Hereford, a beautiful bed and breakfast set beside the San Pedro River at the foot of the Huachuca Mountains, and a genuine birding destination in its own right. It is comfortable, quiet, and well used to birders. Its location is central to the whole region. Casa de San Pedro is also where most of our workshop sessions will take place, which keeps the rhythm of the week simple.
Participants fly into Tucson International Airport (TUS) on the first day, arriving by midday, and we travel to Casa de San Pedro together as a group. Departures are again from Tucson on the final day.
Over the course of the week we will work a cross-section of southeastern Arizona’s habitats: the semi-desert grasslands and sacaton bottoms of the San Rafael Valley, the BLM Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, and the Sulphur Springs Valley; the riparian woodland of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and the Santa Cruz River; the oak woodland and canyon mouths of the Huachuca Mountains; and the wetlands at Whitewater Draw and Patagonia Lake State Park.
Potential highlights include Baird’s, Rufous-winged, Black-chinned, Botteri’s, Brewer’s, and Grasshopper Sparrows, along with Chestnut-collared and Thick-billed Longspurs, and both Green-tailed and Canyon Towhees. Other birds of interest include Ferruginous Hawk, Scaled Quail, Bendire’s Thrasher, Mountain Plover, and the Sandhill Cranes that gather through the autumn in the Sulphur Springs Valley.
Workshop sessions are built in throughout the week. We begin with identification, working through behaviour, structure, and plumage. From there we turn to vocalizations, learning to recognise each species’ calls and songs through extensive audio comparisons. We will also cover migration, habitat, and conservation.
Field trip destinations and workshop sessions will be arranged across the week to make the best use of weather, water levels, and bird activity, and the day-to-day order is set closer to the tour. Generally, we will spend a long morning in the field, head back for lunch, then continue on with our workshop, and potentially go out for another short bird walk in the afternoon.
Highlights
| Birds |
Baird’s, Rufous-winged, Black-chinned, Botteri’s, Brewer’s, and Grasshopper Sparrows; Chestnut-collared and Thick-billed Longspurs; Green-tailed and Canyon Towhees; Ferruginous Hawk, Scaled Quail, Bendire’s Thrasher, Mountain Plover, Sandhill Crane |
|---|---|
| Habitats |
Semi-desert grassland and sacaton bottoms, San Pedro and Santa Cruz riparian woodland, Huachuca Mountains oak woodland and canyon mouths, Sky Island foothills, and the wetlands at Whitewater Draw and Patagonia Lake |
| Workshop topics |
Identification by behavior, structure, and plumage; vocalizations and extensive audio comparison; migration; grassland habitat and conservation |
Focus, difficulty, and comfort
Focus
Difficulty & physical strain
Comfort
Practical details
Ease of Birding
Sparrows are a demanding group, and that is the point of the week. Both field trips and indoor workshops are aimed at helping participants confidently identify these birds by sight and sound, and understanding the habitats they live in. The week is built around education rather than high species tallies.
Pace
Moderate. Mornings start early and time in the field is extended, with walking over uneven grassland and dirt tracks. No technical hiking is required. Afternoons and evenings are spent indoors for workshop sessions at our base or other dedicated venues in the area.
Climate and Weather
Early November in southeastern Arizona is generally dry and settled. Most of our birding takes place between roughly 4,000 and 5,000 feet, where mornings can be near or below freezing and afternoons often reach the 70s Fahrenheit. Layers are essential, as is sun protection: the light at this elevation is strong even on cool days.
Health and Accessibility
No vaccinations are required. Participants should be prepared for early starts, long days, and walking on uneven ground, and should inform the ABA of any relevant medical conditions or mobility requirements before the tour so that we can plan accordingly. Comprehensive travel and medical insurance is strongly recommended.
Entry Requirements
This tour takes place entirely within the United States. Participants travelling from outside the U.S. should confirm entry requirements with their consular services well in advance.
