A description of how some birds migrate from breeding grounds in extreme North America to wintering grounds in New Zealand and other southern Pacific Ocean regions in one-hop flights of thousands of miles. Some consume their own body organs to fuel those flights, a remarkable evolutionary adaptation. Bird of the episode: Acorn Woodpecker. Birding hotspot: Cave Creek Canyon IBA in estreme eastern Arizona. Friend of wildlife: Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection.

A list of detections of songbirds on our patio on April 28, 2025. Many are migrants passing through while others are regular residents of the Sonoran Desert and broader Southwestern region of the United States. Kenn Kaufman describes how birds keep themselves clean throughout the year. Bird of the episode: Western Bluebird. Birding hotspot: Yaki Point on the Grand Canyon South Rim. Friend of Wildlife: Superstition Area Land Trust.

Sandhill Cranes, often found wintering in southeastern Arizona, are a conservation success story. The species has come back from the brink of extirpation in Arizona. But they also represent a challenge to farmers, especially in the Great Plains region. We'll have a report. And, ornithologists are studying the evolution of certain warbler species by sampling DNA extracted from their droppings. It is new research with great promise for breakthroughs in bird science. Bird of the episode: American Wigeon. Birding hotspot: Bear Wallow Wilderness. Friends of wildlife: Mund's Park Trail Stewards.