Birding Tour USA: Northern Arizona, the Grand Canyon and Condors

Immediately following our tour of the desert and scrublands of south-eastern Arizona, we begin our exciting adventure to the northern portion of the state. The area north of the Mogollon Rim, an escarpment that defines the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau, presents a completely different impression of Arizona with its extensive ponderosa pine forests, permanently snow-capped peaks, and steep canyons. The most famous of these canyons, the Grand Canyon, is one of the seven wonders of the natural world and is located in the amazing Grand Canyon National Park. The birds in this region are more typical of the Rocky Mountains, such as Lewis’s Woodpecker and Pinyon Jay.

The iconic California Condor will be searched for on this trip.

The tour begins with a taste of the desert and juniper scrub region just outside of Phoenix for a few speciality birds such as Black-chinned Sparrow. We then head north out of the desert to the city of Flagstaff, which will act as our hub for most of this tour. Towering just north of the city are the majestic San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona at 12,633 feet  (3,851 meters). Home to a long list of iconic Western United States species, such as the amazingly hued Mountain Bluebird, the striking Steller’s Jay and the bizarre Clark’s Nutcracker, these mountains make for some fantastic birding.  From Flagstaff, we will make trips further north to both the Grand Canyon and Vermilion Cliffs. Besides some of the most jaw-dropping views on the planet, these areas are excellent for birding with the true highlight and target being the Critically Endangered California Condor.

This tour can be combined with our Comprehensive Southeast Arizona ⁠— The Desert and Sky Islands tour which precedes our northern Arizona tour.

One of the many amazing views of the Grand Canyon and surrounding area.