AZFO Newsletter June - July 2026
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Arizona Field Ornithologists (AZFO)
AZFO is an organization of birders and ornithologists
dedicated to increasing the knowledge of the changing status, identification, and distribution of Arizona's birdlife.
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AZFO Annual Meeting
Registration is Now Open!!
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Hosted at Pinewood County Club in Munds Park, Flagstaff, AZ
Sept 18-20
The AZFO Annual Meeting is a chance to connect with Arizona’s birding community, hear the latest research and study findings, and celebrate the work being done to better understand birds across the state. Attendees can look forward to presentations from local researchers, a keynote speaker, raffles, book sales, opportunities to get involved with AZFO, and time to socialize with birders from around Arizona.
The meeting weekend also includes expert-led field expeditions, giving attendees the chance to explore the area, look for local specialties, practice bird identification, and enjoy birding with others. A separate link to register for field trips will be sent to all who have signed up for the meeting.
Lodging, mostly Air B&B-type rentals, is available in Munds Park or you can find more options in Flagstaff, nearby.
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$250 Youth Scholarship Available
Thanks to the generous support of Desert Rivers Audubon Society, Maricopa Bird Alliance, and Prescott Audubon Society, AZFO is offering $250 youth scholarships to help young, aspiring ornithologists to attend the AZFO Annual Meeting. Applications are due August 15!
Click here HERE to learn how to apply.
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Call for Papers and Posters
AZFO is now accepting abstracts for oral presentations and for posters for the 2026 Annual Meeting.
Abstracts are due Tuesday, August 25, 2026 and should be sent to Board2@AZFO.org. Visit our website for full submission guidelines, including abstract formatting, poster size, and contact details.
To learn more about submitting a paper or poster,
CLICK HERE.
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Gale Monson Research Grants Now Open
Each year, AZFO provides up to two $1,000 awards to qualified applicants seeking to conduct field research focused on Arizona's birds. We recognize grant awardees each year at our annual meeting. Interested researchers can learn more on our website HERE.
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Achievement Award Nominations Open
Do you know someone who has made a meaningful impact on Arizona’s birding community? AZFO is accepting nominations for its Achievement Award, which recognizes individuals who have helped advance knowledge and appreciation of Arizona’s birds through field work, publications, long term studies, youth mentorship, public education, or other lasting contributions. Review the full nomination details HERE.
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| AZFO eBird Gaps Project Update | |
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AZFO’s latest Arizona Birds article highlights continued progress in filling birding data gaps across underbirded areas of Arizona. Doug Jenness reviews recent work in the Santa Maria Mountains and Cactus Forest areas, including notable species observations, field expedition results, and ways birders can help expand knowledge by sharing eBird checklists.
Click HERE to read the full article.
| | | | Help Look for Purple Martins, Cassins’s Sparrows, and Crested Caracaras! | |
| |  | Join us for an AZFO field expedition in the Cactus Forest area, Pinal County, on Saturday, August 22. Located near Coolidge and Florence, this is one of our eBird Gaps underbirded areas and includes a lush saguaro forest and upland grasslands. There are three species that we particularly want to learn more about: Desert Purple Martin, Crested Caracara, and Cassin’s Sparrow. Martins have been reported feeding at earthen cattle tanks, and we now want to determine their nesting locations and a sense of their distribution in the area. The area along the Florence-Kelvin Highway, including side roads, has an extensive saguaro forest where they may be nesting. Caracaras have been reported along northern Barkerville Rd, Florence-Kelvin Highway, and Price Rd. Cassin’s Sparrows have been reported during the monsoon season skylarking in grassland habitat along Barkerville Rd. south of the saguaro forest. If you would like to participate, contact Doug Jenness. Check the AZFO website for information and a map of the Cactus Forest Area.
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Open Call for Field Expeditions Committee Members!
We are seeking enthusiastic birders to join AZFO's expeditions committee and help organize exciting birding expeditions around the state.
Email Nick Beauregard (nickbeauregard@gmail.com)
for more info.
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Mountain Plover Survey Postponed
The planned May survey for breeding Mountain Plover has been postponed. Please watch the AZFO website and Facebook page for updates as new information becomes available.
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Arizona Birds: Our Online Journal
Species of the Month
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May:
Rusty Blackbird
Photo by Shawn Cooper
The Rusty Blackbird is a wetland-loving icterid that breeds in northern swampy forests and winters mostly in the eastern United States, though a few individuals turn up in Arizona each year. Look for rusty-edged winter plumage, a pale eyebrow, yellow eyes, and a shorter bill.
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June:
Flammulated Owl
Photo by Andrew Core
The Flammulated Owl may be one of Arizona’s smallest owls, but its low, ventriloquial hoots can make it sound like a much larger bird in high-elevation pine forests. Learn more about this secretive, migratory, insect-eating owl and its reliance on mature pine and mixed-conifer habitat.
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AZFO at the SE AZ
Birding Festival
The premier birding event in the Tucson area for 2026 is the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival, scheduled for August 12–16, 2026. We look forward to setting up our AZFO table at the festival again this year on Friday, August 14, from 12:00 to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, August 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Stop by to chat with us about AZFO, our work, and all things birding.
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