{"id":330,"date":"2011-12-28T22:06:27","date_gmt":"2011-12-28T22:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aziba.org\/?page_id=330"},"modified":"2025-11-01T12:23:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T19:23:27","slug":"chiricahua-mountains-iba","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aziba.org\/?page_id=330","title":{"rendered":"Chiricahua Mountains IBA \u263c"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Chiricahuas_Flickr<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Global IBA for Mexican Spotted Owl<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Size: <\/span><\/i><\/b>452.5 square miles, 289,600 acres<\/span><\/p>\n

Identified: <\/span><\/i><\/b>04\/2003. Global:10\/2009<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Visiting the IBA<\/span><\/i><\/b>: <\/span><\/b>From Sierra Vista go east on Hwy 90 then south on Hwy 80 to Bisbee; continue east on Hwy 80 to Douglas; continue northeast on Hwy 80 to Rodeo, NM; and finally go west on Portal Road about 2 miles north of Rodeo. This route is entirely blacktop and is an all-weather route.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chiricahua Mountains \u2013 Cave Creek \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a>, Chiricahua Mountains \u2013 Southwestern Research Station \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a>, Chiricahua Mountains \u2013 Barfoot Park \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a><\/p>\n

Site Description: <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/b>This IBA encompasses the large \u201csky island\u201d mountain range, the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona almost 40 miles long by 20 miles wide. The IBA extends from 5000 feet elevation, at the ecotone between grassland and oak, to the top of Chiricahua Peak at 9795 feet. Sierra Madrean species reach the northernmost extension of their ranges within this IBA. This IBA is notable for the incredible diversity of bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian<\/span> species that occur here due to the numerous life zones that overlap in this sky island.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Eastern<\/a>

Eastern Bluebird by Kelly Colgan Azar<\/p><\/div>\n

Birds:\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>The Chiricahua Range is where the interior Rocky Mountain and the northern Sierra Madrean avifauna meet, making this IBA a coveted bird watching destination. This IBA is within the Portal Christmas Bird Count circle. Species of special conservation status and interest that use the habitats within this IBA include:<\/span><\/p>\n

Year-round:<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u00a0Wild Turkey (Gould\u2019s race), Scaled Quail, Montezuma Quail, Prairie Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Mexican Spotted Owl, Arizona Woodpecker, Mexican Chickadee (found only in the Chiricahua and Animas Mountains in the U.S.), Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-eyed Junco, Black-chinned Sparrow, Abert\u2019s Towhee, and Pyrrhuloxia.<\/span>\"Chiricahua<\/a><\/p>\n

Breeding:<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u00a0Band-tailed Pigeon, Short-tailed Hawk (rare), Apache Goshawk, Golden Eagle, Elegant Trogon, Eared Quetzal (rare), Broad-billed Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Lucifer Hummingbird, Costa\u2019s Hummingbird, Flammulated Owl, Whiskered Screech-Owl, Elf Owl, Greater Pewee, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Crissal Thrasher, Grace\u2019s Warbler, Olive Warbler, Virginia\u2019s Warbler, Lucy\u2019s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, Historically, Thick-billed Parrots occupied the Chiricahua Mountains<\/span><\/p>\n

Migration:<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u00a0Blue-throated Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Red-naped Sapsucker, Williamson\u2019s Sapsucker (winter), Olive-sided Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, MacGillivray\u2019s Warbler, Brewer\u2019s Sparrow<\/span><\/p>\n

Conservation Concerns<\/span><\/i><\/b>: <\/span><\/b>Historic grazing and soil erosion. Uncontrollable wild fires have plagued this IBA over the past decade. The higher elevation mixed conifer forest habitats have been severely impacted by recent fires.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maps of this Important Bird Area:<\/h4>\n
\"Chiricahua<\/a>

Chiricahua Mountains IBA GIS Map<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Chiricahua<\/a>

Chiricahua Mountains IBA GIS Map – zoomed out<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

Chiracahua Mountains | Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy<\/a><\/p>\n

Complete eBird.org Checklist<\/a> of birds Reported for Chiricahua Mountains IBA<\/strong><\/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

\"Elegant<\/a>

Elegant Trogon by Marcel Holyoak<\/p><\/div>\n

Location<\/strong>: 31.9057\u00b0N:\u00a0 109.2800\u00b0W<\/p>\n

County<\/strong>: Cochise<\/p>\n

Site Status<\/strong>: Identified 04\/2003, Identified Global 10\/2009<\/p>\n

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

Criteria<\/strong>: A1<\/a> Global Site \u2013 Spotted Owl<\/p>\n

B1(Potential): Continental: Species of Conservation Concern (Arizona Woodpecker, Montezuma Quail, Whiskered Screech Owl, Hummingbirds, Yellow-eyed Junco)<\/p>\n

D1: State: Species of Conservation Concern<\/p>\n

D3: State: Species in rare\/unique habitat<\/p>\n

Site Description<\/span><\/strong>:<\/strong> Sierra Madrean species reach the northernmost extension of their ranges within this IBA. Notable are many bird species, but also mammals like jaguarundis, and trees like the Apache pine. Numerous perennial springs and streams occur within the range, although none flow out of the mountains into the surrounding Chihuahuan desert scrub. The main canyons of the range include West Turkey Creek, Rucker, and Cave Creek.<\/p>\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Vegetation Description<\/td>\nHectares<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CYPRESS POSTCLIMAX COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n249.9888<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DESERT GRASSLAND & CHIHUAHUAN DESERTSCRUB<\/td>\n62260.31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DOUGLAS FIR – WHITE FIR COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n1203.512<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ENCINAL OAK COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n3812.918<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EVERGREEN SCLEROPHYLL COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n1980.363<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GRAMA GRASS – SCRUB COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n6956.428<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MESQUITE SCRUB COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n62763.07<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MEXICAN OAK – PINE COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n21924.44<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MIXED BROADLEAF COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n381.2311<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MIXED GRASS – SCRUB COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n220579.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PINE COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n7401.419<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PINYON – JUNIPER COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n6745.888<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PINYON – OAK COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n23490.66<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
QUERCUS EMORYI – JUNIPERUS ASSOCIATIONS<\/td>\n45024.82<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SHRUB – GRASS – SCRUB DISCLIMAX COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n13805.62<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SPRUCE – ALPINE FIR COMMUNITIES<\/td>\n393.6164<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Ornithological Summary:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Species or group<\/strong><\/td>\nSeason<\/strong><\/td>\nMaximum<\/strong><\/td>\nYear<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elegant Trogon<\/td>\nBreeding<\/td>\n14 pairs (avg.)<\/td>\n1995<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Buff-breasted Flycatcher<\/td>\nBreeding<\/td>\n22 individuals (counted)<\/td>\n1996<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Golden Eagle<\/td>\nBreeding<\/td>\n10 pairs (avg.)<\/td>\n1993<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peregrine Falcon<\/td>\nBreeding<\/td>\n12 pairs (avg.)<\/td>\n1993<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Whiskered Screech-Owl<\/td>\nResident<\/td>\nFairly Common<\/td>\n1997<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elf Owl<\/td>\nBreeding<\/td>\nCommon<\/td>\n1997<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mexican Spotted Owl<\/td>\nBreeding<\/td>\n10 pairs (avg.)<\/td>\n2020<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Arizona Woodpecker<\/td>\nResident<\/td>\nFairly Common<\/td>\n1997<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lucifer Hummingbird<\/td>\nBreeding<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hummingbirds<\/td>\nBreeding<\/td>\nBroad-billed, Violet-crowned, Costa\u2019s Hummingbird<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bell\u2019s Vireo<\/td>\nBreeding<\/td>\nCommon<\/td>\n1997<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lucy\u2019s Warbler<\/td>\nBreeding<\/td>\nCommon<\/td>\n1997<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"Mexican<\/a>

Mexican Spotted Owl<\/p><\/div>\n

The Chiricahua Range is where the interior Rocky Mountain avifauna meet the northern Sierra Madrean avifauna, as well as a mixing of the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin desert avifauna. Some 375 bird species are known to inhabit the Chiricahua Mountains IBA (Taylor 1997). Of particular ornithological importance, is the great number of Mexican species whose northern summer breeding range occurs only in the southern “sky island” mountains of Arizona, these species include Elegant Trogon, Whiskered Screech-Owl, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, and Mexican Chickadee (the latter found only in the Chiricahua and Animas Mountains in the U.S.). The Elegant Trogon population is the second largest group in the United States after the population within the Huachuca Mountains IBA. \"Chiricahuas_Flickr<\/a><\/span><\/strong>Fifteen species of hummingbirds have bred in the IBA. This IBA supports 33 (breeding or resident) Species of Conservation Status, most notably a high percentage of the state population of: Whiskered Screech-Owl, Arizona Woodpecker, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Grace’s Warbler, and possibly Crissal Thrasher. Within the last ten years Short-tailed Hawks have nested within this IBA. Historically, Thick-billed Parrots occupied the Chiricahua Mountains, and the habitat remains little changed. Twenty-six birds were reintroduced in 1986, but the reintroduction attempt failed, apparently to the inexperience of the individuals released and predation by raptors.<\/p>\n

Conservation Issues<\/span>: <\/strong>Historically, livestock grazing has caused the greatest stress to the perennial streams of the canyons and has caused local impacts.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Forest Service does not permit livestock grazing in Cave Creek Canyon, and around campgrounds in the higher elevations, but grazing does occur in the lower elevations, and the impacts can be significant in terms of erosion and loss vegetation and biotic diversity. Fire risk due to illegal alien traffic is a concern.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Global IBA for Mexican Spotted Owl Size: 452.5 square miles, 289,600 acres Identified: 04\/2003. Global:10\/2009 \u00a0 Visiting the IBA: From Sierra Vista go east on Hwy 90 then south on Hwy 80 to Bisbee; continue east on Hwy 80 to Douglas; continue northeast on Hwy 80 to Rodeo, NM; and finally go west on Portal … <\/p>\n

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