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Birding Home | Access Updates | RBA | Dastardly Duos | Know Your Habitat | AZ/NM Listserv | Tucson Area |
Tucson Audubon Society
Know Your Habitat
by Larry
Liese
Know
Your Habitat home page
Articles in this series first
appeared in the Vermilion Flycatcher, newsletter of the Tucson
Audubon Society. Receive the Vermilion Flycatcher by becoming a member of the Friends
of Tucson Audubon.
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Habitat 5: Madrean Evergreen Woodland
Hokey Smokes! Madera Canyon on fire? As this year’s ABA convention neared, all birders wondered what the resulting damage would be from this fire in one of our most treasured birding hotspots. As the picture below shows, the potential was there for lots of fire damage. I won’t go into the "how often should a forest burn?" question, but we all hoped a repeat of the Catalina Mountain fires wasn’t to happen here. Luckily, the monsoon rains lent a hand and helped the Forest Service soon gain control.
So, what is Madrean Evergreen Woodland? Madrean refers to this type of woodland being centered in the Sierra Madre Occidental (mountains) of western mainland Mexico. Much of the flora and fauna we have in our sky islands in southeast Arizona is shared with our neighbors to the south. Many of the trees in this woodland type are oaks, and almost all of those are evergreen, not deciduous. Emory Oak, Arizona White Oak, Mexican Blue Oak, and Silverleaf Oak are found here as well as Alligator Juniper, sporadic One-seed Juniper, and Mexican Pinon. At the higher elevations of this zone pines become mixed in with Apache, Chihuahua, and Arizona Pines being found. (Note: conifer forests at higher elevation will augment these with other pines.) Madrean Evergreen Woodland is an open-type of woodland with the tree branches not forming a closed canopy. Grasses, shrubs, succulents, and some cacti extend well up from semi-desert areas into the woodland. Chaparral species such as Pointleaf Manzanita may also be present.
Characterized by mild winters and wet summers, plants growing here do not have to endure the rigors of life in the searing desert heat. Trees are larger with stronger branches and can have large natural cavities. These provide nesting situations not available in desert scrub or mesquite grassland. Annual precipitation usually exceeds 16", quite a bit more than the 10–12" of the desert. Temperatures are also cooler here than further down the mountain, a result of a combination of increasing elevation, more tilted terrain, increased collection of water from passing clouds, and perhaps more green foliage soaking up the sunshine. I’ve often wondered just how strong the effect photosynthesis has on the temperature in a given microhabitat. Has anyone seen a study on that?
What birds might we find here that would not be expected lower down the canyon? How about that star of our area—the Elegant Trogon? Usually found in the higher segment of this forest type, particularly along canyon riparian areas where Arizona Sycamores are present, this bird is a common target for birders. Magnificent and Blue-throated Hummingbirds, Montezuma Quail, Arizona Woodpecker, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Flammulated Owl and Whiskered Screech-Owl, Whip-poor-will, Acorn Woodpecker, Mexican Jay, Greater Pewee and Western Wood-Pewee, Dusky-capped and Brown-crested Flycatchers—the list just goes on! Vireos, warblers, tanagers, and wrens are also here. Mixed species flocks of birds, including Bridled Titmouse, Brown Creeper, and White-breasted Nuthatch, can give a thrill as they pour through the canopy above while you scan for the less common ones that might be there (is that an Olive Warbler right up there?).
A paved road extending to about 5,400’ elevation and a network of hiking trails, some paved, give quite a bit of access to this habitat. Hiking up the Vault Mine Trail (Hopkins Fork) brings one to a good stretch of woodland that, in summer, frequently has nesting Elegant Trogons, Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers, Red-faced Warblers, and has had such rarities as Crescent-chested Warbler and Aztec Thrush. No wonder Madera is famous!
So take a hike in any part of this section of Madera Canyon and see what you find. Bring along a good field guide on trees for an added bonus. If hiking isn’t for you, drive to the lodge area above the gift shop (where the cabins are) and watch the feeders. There are always birds coming in here for a snack. Good luck!
Next up in this series is the Transition Life-Zone or Ponderosa Pine Forest.
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This page was updated on 02/21/06