New Mexico: Birding the Land of Enchantment

New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment, with good reason. Between its beautiful Chihuahuan Desert, the lovely forested wildernesses of the Sandia and Sangre de Cristo Mountain ranges, its rugged petroglyph-filled rose-colored deserts, and its expansive native grasslands, there is no shortage of awe-inspiring settings.

Our 2019 and 2020 trips were big hits (see the triplists here and here). On this itinerary, based in the cool high desert of central New Mexico, we will visit many of these breathtaking habitats. A couple of the main avian targets will be the wintering Rosy-Finch fiesta (four varieties in one location!) in the Sandias, as well as the amazing spectacle of Sandhill Cranes and Snow and Ross’s Geese wintering around Bosque Del Apache. In addition to these two headliners, we will be seeking high-desert residents such as Cactus Wren and Crissal Thrasher, mountain west breeders like Green-tailed Towhee, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Pinyon Jay, and Juniper Titmouse, birds with a more southwestern feel, like Phainopepla and Pyrrhuloxia, and some of the denizens of the western grasslands and prairies, like Ferruginous Hawk, Prairie Falcon, and multiple species of Longspurs.

We’ll also have a chance to experience some of the rich art scene and cultural history of Santa Fe, with a few hours spent exploring the quaint and fascinating downtown of New Mexico’s capital city.