| species | date | number | region | county | location | observer | context | details |
| Rosy-faced Lovebird | 7/10/2015 | 8 | South Central | Maricopa | Peoria | Resident Neighbor | | Red face and throat, green body, blue under the wing. Very short tail, pale, hooked beak. Sounds are like my two parakeets.....Spotted four of them early in the morning along Loma Ave in a neighbor's saguaro. The sun had not yet broken over the rooftops, so I did not have sun in my eyes to hinder a clear view of the birds. The next day I counted a total of eight in a tree across the street . For the past two weeks I have observed them and seen them flitting about in nearby trees, not being able to get a good count. .... The address where the birds are living is 10406 W. Loma Ln, Peoria, AZ., here, and also across the street at 10405 W. Loma Ln. |
| Rosy-faced Lovebird | 7/7/2015 | 3 | South Central | Maricopa | Mockingbird Ln & McDonald Dr, Paradise Valley | C. Larkin | First seen as two to four birds streaking across the neighborhood 15 years ago. Gradually observed during the early summer, feeding in ocotillo blooms. Now more regularly visiting saguaros in early spring, briefly occupying existing holes. Currently visiting our bird feeder stocked with black sunflower seed. Having lived here 30 years, I can say certainly new to this area and appear to be slowly expanding toward the west in this neighborhood. | |
| Northern Harrier | 7/4/2015 | 1 | South Central | Maricopa | Chandler Heights Rd e. of Rainbow Valley Rd, Goodyear | Melanie Herring | Casual in July | Owl face, Long tailed, white rump. It flew low across the road in front of me allowing excellent views. This area has a lot of Ag fields and open desert scrub. Prairie Falcon and at least 4 Red-tailed hawks present as well. |
| Swainson's Hawk | 7/4/2015 | 3 | South Central | Maricopa | Tuthill Rd, Buckeye | Melanie Herring | Rare to casual in July. | Found at the Smith's Longspur spot. Juvenile (white heads), photographed sitting in field with about 40 Turkey Vultures. The field recently tilled and the other side flooded.
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| Crested Caracara | 6/13/2015 | 1 | Southeast | Pima | Manville /Sanderio Rd (Old West Ranchettes) | Helge Blucher | First time we have seen this bird in our area. | Have pictures of the bird on top of a Saguaro near the the CAP just west of our house. Checked against your pictures of this bird and confirmed species. |
| Rosy-faced Lovebird | 6/12/2015 | 1 | South Central | Maricopa | Power & Riggs Rds, Queen Creek | Dennis & Barb Plunkett | Because the census gathered did not show any in this area previously, and we believe we have seen another before today. The bird is comfortable in our mature Palo Verde and Mesquite trees and we have been able to get fairly close. | I have a cell phone photo that looks like the birds in the article. |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | 6/7/2015 | 1 | South Central | Maricopa | Palo Verde | Melanie Herring | Based on Maricopa Co. bar graphs, this species is casual in June. | Photographed showing bright yellow legs and short, small, pointed bill. R/O solitary by leg color and lack of white spectacles. It was silent foraging along water edge. |
| Gambel's Quail | 6/5/2015 | 1 | South Central | Maricopa | Orange Tree Golf Club, Phoenix | Mike Hills | White (leucistic) female Gambel's Quail with brood. These have been noted in the neighborhoods around the Orange Tree Golf Course for at least the last 5 years, multiple birds some years, other years just an occasional white bird. This female has a large brood this year (est. 10-12) and several are already showing paler colors. I can send you some photos of this white female, her standard colored mate and the current brood.
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| Monk Parakeet | 5/10/2015 | 2 | South Central | Maricopa | Sossaman & Ocotillo Rds, Queen Creek | David Leichtman | I don't find any information regarding sightings of these Monk Parakeets in the Queen Creek area. Does seem to be sightings rather close by in Casa Grande, Apache Junction, Mesa, Phoenix. This is the third sighting of these two in my backyard feeding in the last week. First sighting was by me only. Couple days later again sighted by my wife and myself. Third sighting was my son, wife and myself. | All three sighting were between 4-5:00 PM. Fed for around 5-10 minutes on two different cylinder cakes of nuts, seeds etc. Cylinders from Wild Birds Unlimited in Mesa. The fact that these two have a sort of routine tells me they are not just passing thru but must have residency somewhere nearby. |
| Rosy-faced Lovebird | 4/21/2015 | 2 | South Central | Maricopa | Signal Butte Rd & Apache Trl, Mesa | Betty Rybicki | I think that this report is significant because I have lived in this house for a better part of 15 years.
In this time I have NEVER seen a bird like this before. When it came down in front of me it was so beautiful that my mouth dropped open. I went in on my computer to see if I could find anything like it. I came across a picture of the rosy faced lovebird. That was the bird. The male came by himself yesterday and we "talked " to each other. Today at the same time I took my camera out with me and waited for him. Not only did he come but brought his mate also. I didn't see them at first but he made it clear that he wanted me to see him and his gorgeous mate. I did get several pictures of each separate the together. I couldn't wait for my husband to get home to show him the pictures. He was as amazed as I was and still am. I will be waiting again tomorrow with my camera at 3pm. | Rosy faced Green body with a little Black on lower back and a bright blue on lower back and under wings. I was in my yard 4 feet from my plants and our fountain. Today at 3:15 PM it was a very warm slightly windy 90 degrees. Wonderful day. |
| Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) | 3/30/2015 | 2 | South Central | Maricopa | Dobson Ranch Park, Mesa | Vince Maglio | Rare species for Arizona. | Had clear view of black malar stripe, red crescent on nape of neck and yellow underwings. Seen at 730 this morning in Dobson Ranch Park on the south side of the police/fire substation at the south end of the lake. |
| Rosy-faced Lovebird | 3/16/2015 | 10 | South Central | Maricopa | Sun City | Brooks Christensen | | 8 am in Sun City Lakes East golf course hole 4 tee box. There were 10 birds very active in the "pineapple" of a palm tree. |
| Spotted Owl | 3/11/2015 | 1 | South Central | Maricopa | Ridgeview Estates, Carefree | Linda Covey et al. | This species is rare in the highest mountains of Maricopa Co., casual elsewhere. This location is at 2300 ft. elevation. | The bird was roosting in a private yard, where it was seen well during the daytime. Linda Covey obtained excellent photos, as did Kurt Radamaker the following day. |
| White-winged Scoter | 2/27/2015 | 1 | South Central | Maricopa | Sun City | Vince Maglio | Rare bird for Arizona. I have never seen one before and wanted verification from a more knowledgeable person. Have many photos to help ID. | Looks like a first year/immature White-winged Scoter. White secondaries, hooked bill and overall black color. The bird was seen again on 1 Mar 2015. |
| Band-tailed Pigeon | 2/15/2015 | 1 | South Central | Maricopa | Glendale Recharge Ponds | Melanie Herring | Casual in lowlands and very few winter records. | Photographed this large dove as it rested on a snag. Yellow based bill, white line on back of neck band, large gray band on tail. |
| Greater Scaup | 2/15/2015 | 2 | Gila | Gila | Green Valley Park, Payson | Brian Ison | Rare inland away from the Colorado R., but frequently reported this last year in s. Gila Co. at the San Carlos Sewage Ponds, where one female stayed the summer. | excellent viewing conditions, four scaup were seen at about 10:30 AM in small pond from about 100 ft away. I noted the large, wide-based bill and rounded head shape, puffy cheeks. At least two Greater Scaup were present, but there may have been a third I could not photograph. photos taken (eBird). One of the scaup may be the same bird photographed 5 February by Ed Dunn (eBird). |
| Pine Siskin | 2/13/2015 | 1 | South Central | Maricopa | McCormick Ranch, Scottsdale | Walter Thurber | Very few Pine Siskins were reported from the Phoenix Valley this winter. The only other lowland sightings in eBird are from the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, Gilbert, where two to four individuals were seen in Dec and Jan. | The bird appeared at our backyard water feature along with two Lesser Goldfinches. The bird was heavily streaked above and below, with distinct cheek patches and a small pointed bill. Female House Finches were present at the same time for comparison. Viewing conditions were excellent as I watched from our kitchen window. The bird returned the following day and my wife (Fran) obtained a photo. |
| Rosy-faced Lovebird | 2/9/2015 | 1 | South Central | Maricopa | 107th Ave & Durango St, Avondale | Bryan Anderson | | Baby lovebird. Still had some dark markings on beak, and duller plumage. |
| Barrow's Goldeneye | 2/3/2015 | 1 | White Mountains | Navajo | Big Springs | Sarah Fish | Not many sightings away from the Colorado River. She has been hanging out all winter so far. | Orange, slightly curved beak. Slightly smaller in size from a common. |
| Trumpeter Swan | 1/28/2015 | 2 | Southeast | Pima | Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson | Bryon Lichtenhan | Rare bird for SE Arizona | See photos |
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