Guide to Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Mammals
Arizona's Sycamore Canyons

Water in the arid and semiarid regions of Arizona is often concentrated along narrow canyons draining from the high mountains. With a great variety of trees, shrubs, perennial herbs and annuals these riparian corridors support a great diversity of animal life. This is a new guide and new species will be added as photos become available and descriptive text pages are written. If an animal is already covered in detail in another guide on Arizona Naturalists an icon will so indicate. The user should use the 'back button' on the browser to return to this guide page.

Northern Flicker

Loud-calling woodpecker that can also bang tree trunks loudly. Large size. Jet black bib. Belly spotted. Frequent. More ...

Hairy Woodpecker

Back is mostly black with a bold white stripe along spine. Patch of red back of head on males. Harsh call distinctive. More common at higher elevations. More ...

Acorn Woodpecker

The bold black and white clown-face easily distinguishes this woodpecker. Gathers and stores acorns in granaries build into dead trunks. Common in oak zones. More ...

Mexican Jay

Forms noisy flocks of blue-gray birds that forage as a group. Throat without distinct white patch or darker necklace. More frequent in southeast Arizona. More ...

Bridled Titmouse

Small bird with boldly-marked black and white head, and a distinct creast. Often forages in small, mixed-species flocks. Common, especially above 1200m. More ...

Painted Redstart

Bold black, red and white bird active on trunks and branches. Migrates south for winter. Common, especially above 1200m. More ...

Yellow Warbler

Common bright yellow and small active birds in canopy present mostly spring and summer only. More ...

American Robin

Familiar bird common through much of North America. White eye ring, rufous breast, orange-yellow bill and streaky chin. More ...

Black-headed Grosbeak

Medium sized spring and summer bird with dark head, thick bill and rich, tawny chest. The female lacks tawny color and head is streaked. More ...

Western Wood-Pewee

Small flycatcher with upright posture, grayish color and no distinct eyering and only faint wingbars. Spring and summer. More ...

Cedar Waxwing

Fall, winter and spring bird attracted to trees with ripe fruit. Backward facing crest. Tan, yellow and grayish plumage. Black eye mask. More ...

Phainopepla

Males are black with red eyes and distinct crest on head. Female is similar but gray in color. Moves to lower elevation in winter. More ...

Northern Cardinal

Males unmistakeable red. small black mask, and sharp crest atop head. Females gray and reddish. Both have orange-red bill. More ...

Summer Tanager

Males are nearly pure red. Females yellowish. Young males may have yellow also. Spring and summer only. More ...

Turkey Vulture

Nearly solid black plumage. Undersides of wings appear two-toned. Bare skin of head is reddish. Absent in winter. More ...

Lazuli Bunting

Males are light blue and golden tawny. Migration thru Az in spring and fall. More ...

Western Bluebird

Brilliant blue and rusty-orange male. Female is duller blue-gray. Medium bill. Feeds on berries and insects. Juveniles have speckled chest. More ...

Violet-green Swallow

Irridescent green on head and back. Belly and chest white. White extends onto dorsum of rump. More ...

Barn Swallow

Head and back irridescent blue-black, throat and chest rusty, long tail feathers. Rarely perches. More ...

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Much of head and throat appear black in males. Occas. a dark purple patch visible on throat. Spring and summer. More ...

Violer-crowned Hummingbird

Pure white chest and belly, red bill, and in males, a violet crown. Uncommon in far s.e. Arizona canyons. More ...

Gila Woodpecker

Chest and belly are tawny-gray. Back with fine black-and-white banding. Male with red head patch. Year round. More ...

Black Phoebe

Upright and alert posture. Head, back and chest black contrasting sharply with white belly. Spring, summer and fall. More ...

Brown-crested Flycatcher

Spring and summer bird with pale yellow belly, gray chest and rusty tail feathers. Uses heavy bill to glean insects from foliage and ground. More ...

Verdin

Tiny grayish bird with pale yellow head and small patch of maroon on shoulder. More ...

Bewick's Wren

Small wren with long tail and gray-brown back. White stripe through eye. More ...

Cactus Wren

Desert birds often moves into riparian zones during drought. Largest wren in Az. All year. More ...

Greater Roadrunner

Large bird with heavy bill hunts along ground. Prefers open areas but roosts often in trees at night. More ...

Plateau Lizard

Sharply pinted scales on gray-brown, small to medium sized lizard. Some specimens lack longitudinal stripes. More ...

Ornate Tree Lizard

Small scaly lizard often climbing trees, boulders and fences. More ...