Classic Adventures: Birding the Sky Islands

By Tyler Williams

Sprawling and majestic, the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona spring from the surrounding basin of the desert floor. Stretching up to high peaks, these mountaintop forests of pine, fir, and spruce create isolated ecosystems—hence the name of Sky Islands.

Taking refuge in and around these mountaintops are many of our rarest feathered friends. Thick-billed kingbirds and rare gray hawks have been spotted here. To see the colorful, coppery-tailed trogon, you can go to the tropics, or you can come to southeastern Arizona.

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