The southeastern portion of Arizona is well known to birders not only for its year-round residents, but also because of its geographic position along key migratory routes. Say Cave Creek Canyon, Ramsey Canyon, Madera Canyon, Sonoita or Patagonia to a birder, and you will be playing a symphony.

Portal makes up the eastern border and Tucson is at the northwestern tip of the prime birding preserves. Some are official preserves. Others are small towns well known for their feathered inhabitants where some residents even allow birders to visit their backyard feeders.

Portal, Arizona is home to only about 500 people, but its enchanting location at the entrance to Cave Creek Canyon draws visitors from all over the world. One of the biggest reasons is because this area of the Chiricahua Mountains is the habitat of the elegant trogon, whose nickname is the rainbow of the sky.

Portal and Cave Creek Canyon not only have hiking trails that wind along Cave Creek, but also two preserves worth a visit. One is the South Fork Zoological and Botanical Area, which is particularly good for spotting trogons and owls.There are fourteen species of owl in the area. The second is the Southwestern Research Station, a subsidiary of the American Museum of Natural History. Here the hummingbird is king.

Speaking of hummingbirds, Ramsey Canyon south of Sierra Vista wins that contest hands down. It is one of two Nature Conservancy preserves in this part of Arizona that preserve riparian habitat. The other is Patagonia-Sonoita Creek.

Ramsey is a remarkable place. Up to fourteen different species of hummingbirds and 170 species of birds are found in the preserve and the surrounding national forest.

The Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve just west of Patagonia is home to more than 300 species of birds, including gray hawks, violet-crowned hummingbirds and green kingfishers. Southwest of the town of Patagonia itself is a roadside rest area that's famous among birdwatchers for sightings of rare birds.

Madera Canyon, near Green Valley, is home to 12 species of hummingbirds along with the elegant trogon, the flame-colored tanager, the crescent-chested warbler, and several different kinds of owls including the tiny Elf Owl.