Just Wingin' It with Arizona Birding Expert Richard C. Taylor

If there's anyone who knows Arizona's birds, it's our guest
Richard "Rick" C. Taylor, who literally wrote the book Birds of
Arizona! On this episode we fly into the amazing world of the
elegant trogon, ruffs, Scott's oriole, sparrows, hummingbirds and
so much more.

Whether you're a beginning birder or a seasoned ornithologist,
you'll be delighted by Rick's knowledge and passion for birding
and his perspective on how we nature lovers can relate to our
feathered friends.

Resources we discussed on this episode that can help you as you
get into birding include Rick's book Birds of Arizona and The
Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird app.

About our guestA lifelong resident of Southeastern
Arizona, Taylor has been involved in birding since he was a teen
making observations and recording them. It was his hobby, and all
his biology is self-taught. He conducted an eight-year-long study
of the Elegant Trogon that led to the publication of Trogons
of the Arizona Borderlands in 1994 and continues to compile
census results. During his research, Taylor reported the first
Eared Quetzal seen in the U.S. In 1980 he founded Borderland
Tours, a birding travel company dedicated to responsible
ecotourism. In 1995 the American Birding Association published
his A Birder's Guide to Southeastern Arizona, revised in
2005.  In 2010, R.W. Morse Company published Birds of
Southeastern Arizona, now in its 7th printing and in 2023
Birds of Arizona, which has become the most
comprehensive field guide of the state’s birds, profiling
over 500 species and over 900 color photographs showing key field
marks of each species. Arizona has more hummingbirds than any
other state and Taylor creates for the first time a hummingbird
chart showing the elevation ranges for all seventeen species.
Taylor also authors the location bird checklists for both the
Huachuca and the Chiricahua Mountains.


Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter
at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more
inspiration.