BIRDS OF SONORA: Arizona to Yécora

by Forrest Davis, Sheri Williamson & Tom Wood

(originally published in the January 2005 issue of Winging It!, the newsletter of the American Birding Association)

All text and photos on this page are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Photos © 2003 Sheri Williamson and Tom Wood

Sonora, Mexico’s second largest state, borders Arizona and is easily accessible by road. Habitat ranges from low Sonoran desert in the west and along the coast of the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) to high Sierra Madre in the east. Tropical deciduous forest begins to appear between the desert and mountains within 100 miles of the Arizona border. In addition to the southwestern “specialties” that occur regularly in southeastern Arizona and the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, Sonora boasts 50-plus species that reach the northern extent of their range and are either never seen in the U.S. or are recorded only as vagrants/accidentals.

Starting point for many is the border crossing at Naco, Arizona, 20 miles south of Sierra Vista. Birders coming from Tucson or Phoenix may find it more convenient to cross at Nogales, taking Highway 15 (a toll road). Naco is a good choice because it is less crowded and easier to navigate than the busier ports of entry at Nogales or Douglas, Arizona. More important, this route follows the interesting and scenic Rio Sonora Valley.

Set your trip odometer to 0 at the border. From there, drive 9.4 miles to the intersection of Route 2, “Camino del Diablo”. The habitat on this stretch is overgrazed Chihuahuan desert scrub and is not especially birdy, but watch for Scaled Quail year-round and Prairie Falcon in the winter. Follow Route 2, to mile 35.8 just before the edge of the copper mining city of Cananea, then make a sharp left turn onto Route 89 now designated officially as the Rio Sonora tourist scenic byway (Ruta Rio Sonora).

Numerous vados or fords (stream crossings, often dry during the winter, but potentially dangerous in the summer rainy season) provide opportunities for birding, particularly if cottonwoods or willows are present. Drive to mile 62.7, the frontier station that marks the official line of demarcation requiring a tourist visa and auto permit. Habitat is desert scrub and Sierra Madrean woodland. One hundred yards beyond the frontier station, an area of desert scrub is home to many of the common residents in southeastern Arizona, e.g., Pyrhrruloxia, Phainopepla, Curve-billed Thrasher, Verdin, and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher.

A female Green Kingfisher lurks along the edges of the Rio Sonora at Bacoachi. Photo by Sheri Williamson

Continuing on from the border station, the habitat becomes more rugged and less disturbed by grazing. The road crosses the Rio Sonora and its tributaries in a number of places. Watch for waders. At the second of several Rio Sonora crossings, just before the town of Bacoachi (Pemex Station = fuel stop) at mile 70.8, pull off to the right and look for a pair of resident Green Kingfishers coexisting in winter with Belted Kingfishers. Black-capped Gnatcatcher can often be found as well.

At about mile 85, distant views of rugged mountains hint at the terrain ahead. The scenery becomes more dramatic and is in stark contrast to the gentler, high desert landscape of the San Pedro River Valley. The road meanders between rugged Sierra Madrean ranges, many of which were used by Geronimo and his band of Chiricahua Apaches to great effect during their many years evading pursuit by U.S. and Mexican armies. Beyond Chinapa at mile 89, the road winds above floodplain, overlooking rich, farm fields. Increasing tropical habitat holds the promise of new birds that aren’t seen north of the border. Organ pipe cactus, jumping cholla, bursera, tree ocotillo, and octopus agave become more common.

The road is twisting and narrow, with steep grades, but the careful driver is rewarded with lovely views all the way into Arizpe at mile 102 (Pemex). On the main route, a simple but excellent restaurant, El Rodeo, serves up the meal of the day, often a very tasty and filling soup. One of the oldest churches in Sonora is worthy of a detour into the town itself. Puente (bridge) Nogalitos at mile 109, provides a picturesque and productive birding stop, and it’s a good location for Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. The terrain from Banamichi at mile 128 (Pemex) to Baviácora at mile 151 (Pemex) passes through lush agricultural bottomland. Grassland birds are abundant here. In winter, look for Mountain Bluebirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds in the fields.

Bluffs along the Rio Sonora near Aconchi. Photo by Sheri Williamson

A pullout behind the guardrail at mile 166 provides an opportunity to look more closely at this unique habitat. Five-striped Sparrow can usually be found along this stretch of road. Once through the Rio Sonora gorge, habitat for the next 60 miles to Hermosillo is mostly deforested and used for grazing, providing little of interest to birders. Bear left at mile 224.7 on to Mexico Route 15. There are a number of clean, American-style motels on the right-hand side of the road entering Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora. Prices range from $40 to $50 per night for a double.

To ensure an early start for Yécora, birders are wise to bring their own breakfast makings including a toaster and coffee maker since Mexican restaurants rarely serve breakfast before 7:00 AM.

The Organ Pipe is a common sight on hillsides and canyon slopes in the Rio Sonora drainage. Photo by Sheri Williamson

After leaving the reservoir, proceed approximately one mile past the prison on the right to a left-hand turn-off for Route 16 heading east toward Yécora and Chihuahua City. Be sure to go straight, not left, at the stop sign. Reset your odometer to 0 at this point. The road sign shows 280 km. to Yécora, and it’s a pretty accurate measurement. Drive about 40 miles through overgrazed desert scrub watching for Harris’ Hawk and Crested Caracara on the Hetcho cactus. Gilded Flicker and many grassland sparrows can be seen as well, Proceed to mile 46.3, Puente San Jose de Pima. A pair of Green Kingfishers usually patrols the river around the bridge. This is a good spot to begin listening and looking for Happy Wren, Blue Mockingbird (uncommon), Great Kiskadee, Streak-backed Oriole, and numerous wintering warblers, empidonax flycatchers, and sparrows.

Forrest Davis and Tom Wood scan a deep gorge on the way to Yécora. Photo by Sheri Williamson

Continue on Route 16 east. From this point on, the road becomes very winding as you move into the foothills of the Sierra Madre and up into the mountains themselves. Be on the lookout for Elegant Quail. Be alert for rocks in the road, especially during or after a rainfall (Pemex at Tecoripa, mile 74.3). Stop at Puente Rio Yaqui at mile 105 to look for birds along the river.

Stop at a large fig tree at a pullout on the left (mile 96.9). If the tree is fruiting, birding can be excellent. Elegant Trogon, White-tipped Dove, Nutting’s Flycatcher, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, and Rufous-capped Warbler are all seen regularly. Black-throated Magpie-Jay and Lesser Roadrunner can be found anywhere for the next 60 miles or so. At mile 123, pull-off under the fig tree on the left. A deep ravine extends from the top of a mountain down across the road. A number of figs mixed with oaks grow in this ravine. This has been one of the more productive birding areas in Sonora. Rufous-belled Chachalaca, Gray-crowned Woodpecker, Happy and Sinaloa Wrens, and White-Striped Woodcreeper have all been seen here. Military Macaw has been observed in the cliffs above. A pair of Mottled Owls sometimes roost in the upper branches of an oak tree just off the road. This is a good picnic stop as well. Continue on to mile 139.5 where the road forks. Watch for a military checkpoint at the intersection of Route 16 and Route 12 (the turnoff to Ciudad Obregon). Travelers are most often asked their destination. Rarely, the soldiers may want to look in your vehicle. Courtesy and cooperation are in order.

A female White-eared Hummingbird in "The Barranca." Photo by Sheri Williamson

Resuming travel along Route 16, bear to the left toward Yécora. The road snakes its way higher into the Sierra Madre for the next 30 miles. In the distance, a great rock promontory appears high over the road. At mile 164.5, a canyon intersects the highway just before a sweeping curve. There is a spring, a shrine, and a truck pullout with trash barrels. This canyon is known to birders simply as “The Barranca”: in Spanish, a deep canyon. The Barranca has yielded the greatest number and diversity of bird species north of Alamos, Sonora. Most of the birds are found up the canyon from the road. A tiny rivulet wends its way down the canyon to a rocky basin, thick with brush, on the right hand edge of the highway.

When the salvias are in bloom, White-eared Hummingbirds should be abundant, along with Berylline and a few Blue-throated. Blue Mockingbird, Orange-billed and Russet Nightingale-Thrushes, Brown-backed Solitaire, Rufous-backed and White-throated Robin, the communal and very noisy Spotted Wren, Slate-throated Redstart, Rufous-capped Brush-Finch, Rusty Sparrow, and Black-headed Siskin can all be found here. Northern (Mountain) Pygmy Owl will usually fly in to investigate after a few owl-toots. One hundred yards up the Barranca is a small dam. Above it, Gray-collared Becards have nested at least since 2001. Mountain Trogon nests along the canyon and can often be found patrolling the area. Tufted Flycatchers hawk for insects from snags above the dam, and mixed flocks of warblers can be found in the sycamores and conifers above.

Leaving the Barranca, proceed to Yécora at mile 177. Turn left at the Pemex station. There are several restaurants and motels in town now. Los Aguajitos, a restaurant owned and operated by Octavio (who speaks English well) and his lovely family, is an excellent choice for dinners. E-mail him ahead of time at: tavitoyecora@prodigy.net.mx before you come, and he’ll put together something special. He can also make reservations for you at the simple, but comfortable, Motel King. As in most Mexican towns, it can be quite noisy at night. A long, productive day in the field should make it easier to sleep well, soon blocking out the crowing roosters, howling dogs, and the rollicking sounds of happy-spirited residents. Visitors who are especially noise-sensitive might want to pack a portable white noise machine and/or earplugs with them to help ensure a good night’s sleep.

A Brown-backed Solitaire belts out his morning song from a perch on the edge of Mesa Compañero. Photo by Sheri Williamson

Depart the next morning from Yécora. There are couple of options upon leaving Yécora. Turn left on Route 16 from Yécora and go east about five hours towards Chihuahua. Basaseachic Falls, the second highest in Mexico, can be reached in about three hours. The Thick-billed Parrot preserve outside of Madera is another two to three hours beyond. There are good accommodations in the town. An alternative destination is spectacular Copper Canyon, a very long day’s drive from Yécora.

For those returning to Hermosillo, a good birding stop of about two hours can be found by turning left at mile 31 on a dirt road that may or may not be signed for Santa Ana. The road runs through a low, scrubby valley. Black-throated Magpie-Jays, Buff-breasted and Tufted Flycatchers, Black-vented Orioles and Thick-billed Kingbirds can usually be found along the road going towards Santa Ana. Good birding can be found along the stream running through the town as well.

A weeklong Sonora trip usually includes Alamos, a charming colonial town in the southern part of the state. We expect to cover Alamos in detail in a future article.

About the Authors:

Sheri Williamson and Tom Wood are founders and directors of the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory; Sheri is the author of A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America in the Peterson Field Guide Series. Contact info

Thanks to Gary Crandall for assistance with this article.