Every spring, Sierra Vista welcomes a unique array of winged visitors to its natural areas, as many migrating species of hummingbirds and other birds travel from their tropical winter homes to their northern nesting sites. That means that it is once again time for SABO’s annual hummingbird banding events, which take place throughout the month of April. This is a great opportunity to see these amazing birds up close and take part in the important documentation of these species traveling along a vital migratory route over the San Pedro River.
What Is SABO?
SABO, or the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on the conservation of birds and their habitats in Cochise County and throughout Southern Arizona. Their mission is to preserve vital habitats for native and migratory bird species through research, monitoring, and public education. Their annual hummingbird banding event is an important part of their long-term research of bird life in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.
The San Pedro River: A Hummingbird Highway
When you’re driving along the highways of southeastern Arizona, you’ll spot a distinctive green band stretching across the high desert. This is the lush green corridor of the San Pedro River, which is lined with tall cottonwood trees and other vegetation that thrives along this critical waterway. During the spring months, the San Pedro River serves as a hummingbird highway for up to 10 species of hummingbirds that travel from tropical regions back to the northern United States and Canada for their nesting season. These birds travel incredible distances with species like Rufous hummingbirds traveling from Mexico to as far north as southeastern Alaska. Visitors from near and far flock to Sierra Vista during this time to observe this amazing natural event.
Annual Hummingbird Banding
Hummingbird banding involves capturing, banding, weighing, measuring, and releasing hummingbirds as they travel along the San Pedro River to document their journey and assess the overall health of each species. Banding allows researchers to identify individual birds to learn about their life span, reproductive cycles, and migration routes and timing.
Staff and volunteers of SABO are responsible for handling the birds, but the public is welcome to observe and get a unique, close-up look at these amazing tiny travelers. Banding sessions take place every Saturday in April from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at San Pedro House off Highway 90. These sessions are free to attend, but donations are encouraged to support the ongoing mission of SABO. If you are unable to attend a banding session or simply want to get more birding experience under your belt, you might attend a San Pedro Bird Walk. These free guided walks are led on Wednesday mornings starting at 7:00 a.m. and last for 2-3 hours with opportunities to see a wealth of migratory and wintering bird species.
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