{"id":2730,"date":"2019-06-27T14:57:39","date_gmt":"2019-06-27T21:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aziba.org\/?page_id=2730"},"modified":"2025-11-01T12:11:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T19:11:17","slug":"atascosa-highlands-iba","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aziba.org\/?page_id=2730","title":{"rendered":"Atascosa Highlands IBA"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Sycamore<\/a>

Sycamore Canyon creek by Kendall Kroesen<\/p><\/div>\n

Size:\u00a0<\/i><\/b>313 square miles, 810 square kilometers<\/p>\n

Identified:<\/i>\u00a0<\/b>6\/2019, encompassed previously identified California Gulch IBA (7\/2002) and Sycamore Canyon IBA (4\/2003)<\/p>\n

Ownership:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Coronado National Forest<\/p>\n

County:<\/strong><\/em> Santa Cruz<\/p>\n

Location:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a031.65105374697809,\u00a0-110.52903541444465<\/p>\n

Visiting this Important Bird Area: <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0From Tucson: Go south on I-19 to Exit 12 to access Ruby Road. Go west on Ruby Road into the Atascosa Highlands. Ruby Rd is the main access point into this area. Other exits off of I-19 are access points for areas further north such as Rock Corral Canyon. Virtually all of this land is open to the public and there are some relatively well known areas favored by birders such as Sycamore Canyon, Pena Blanca Lake, Arivaca Lake and California Gulch. There are also less known excellent birding areas such as Walker Canyon, Pena Blanca Canyon and Rock Corral Canyon. California Gulch \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a>, Pe\u00f1a Blanca Canyon \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a>, Pe\u00f1a Blanca Lake \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a>, Sycamore Canyon \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a><\/p>\n

Site Description:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Sycamore<\/a>Oak savannah\u00a0and oak woodland with a heavy Madrean influence dominate almost all of the Atascosa Highlands with undulating bajadas of oak savannah, spectacular intact canyons and highly valuable riparian habitat, alive with streams and precious pools. It is in this spectacular setting that hikers can spend days exploring ridge tops and canyons. Wildlife enthusiasts and botanists can revel in an area that boasts many endemic species that occur nowhere else on earth and more wildlife and plant species than those that inhabit some entire states.<\/p>\n

The Atascosa Highlands comprise three small closely spaced mountain ranges on the United States and Mexico border just west of Nogales, the Tumacacori Mountains, the Atascosa Mountains and the Pajarito Mountains. The San Luis Mountains lie just to the west of these three mountain ranges. These ranges are continuous with similar highlands that stretch southward into Mexico. Although unimposing in elevation, the Atascosa Highlands have sharp ridges, steep slopes, and rocky cliffs that limit the number of roads and give\u00a0the area a feeling of remoteness. The vegetation is scattered evergreen oak woodlands on north facing slopes with scrub-grasslands on south facing slopes. Mesquite and acacia shrubs are common, as are agaves and sotols.<\/p>\n

Birds:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/b>This area is well known among birders for the rare species found here at times.<\/p>\n

\"Five<\/a>

Five Striped Sparrow by Tom Benson<\/p><\/div>\n

Year-round:<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>Montezuma Quail, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Mexican Jay, Bridled Titmouse, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Bewick\u2019s Wren, Cactus Wren, and Black-throated Sparrow<\/p>\n

Breeding:<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>California Gulch has a small but consistent population of Five-striped Sparrows (10 to 15 pairs), Gray Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Elegant Trogon, Tropical Kingbird, Thick-billed Kingbird, Rose-throated Becard, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Lucy\u2019s Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Varied Bunting, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Vermilion Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Cassin\u2019s Kingbird, Bell\u2019s Vireo, Purple Martin, Abert\u2019s Towhee, and Buff-collared Nightjar, a rare species in Arizona, Rufous-capped Warbler,\u00a0Whiskered Screech-Owl,\u00a0Mexican Whip-poor-will.<\/p>\n

Migration:<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>Rufous Hummingbird, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Greater Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Hammond\u2019s Flycatcher, Gray Vireo, Tree Swallow, Hermit Thrush, Swainson\u2019s Thrush, Eastern Bluebird, MacGillivray\u2019s Warbler, Virginia\u2019s Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend\u2019s Warbler, Wilson\u2019s Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, and Blue Grosbeak. Winter: Red-naped Sapsucker, Gray Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Townsend\u2019s Solitaire, Green-tailed Towhee.<\/p>\n

eBird focus species:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/b>Five-striped Sparrow, Gray Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Elegant Trogon, Tropical Kingbird, Thick-billed Kingbird, Montezuma Quail, Lucy\u2019s Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Varied Bunting, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Bell\u2019s Vireo, Purple Martin, and Abert\u2019s Towhee,\u00a0Rufous-capped Warbler.<\/p>\n

Conservation Issues:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/b>Poor water quality from past mining activities, grazing, and illegal activities (drugs and immigrants).<\/p>\n

Conservation Strategies:<\/strong><\/em> Border enforcement, Coronado Forest land management plan.<\/p>\n

Mini Conservation Plan<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Arizona Game and Fish Conservation Opportunity Area<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bar Charts – eBird<\/a><\/p>\n

For an interactive map and habitat and land ownership analysis of this IBA visit the National Audubon IBA Map<\/a><\/strong> and select \u201cArizona” and then select this IBA<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Map<\/a>

Map of Atascosas IBA in Red outline with California Gulch and Sycamore Canyons in purple<\/p><\/div>\n

IBA criteria:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Site Important to Special Status Avian Species<\/strong><\/p>\n