Trail is a great way to see them

---

Birding is an amazing way for people to enjoy the outdoors and see the many species of birds — and other wildlife — in New Mexico. There are more than 2,000 bird species in North America and just under 550 of those can be found in our state.

From the greater roadrunner to the red-faced warbler, if you like to get out and view birds in their native habitat or search for a rare bird that is passing through during the migration, New Mexico is the place for you.

New Mexico has seen several rare visitors pass through from time to time. One of those was the eared quetzal. I was lucky enough to see one of these a few years back, but it was just across the state line in the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona. The bird was less than eight miles from New Mexico, so one can see how they sometimes end up here.

The rarest bird to make an appearance in New Mexico, according to the American Bird Conservancy, was the long-billed murrelet, which was thousands of miles from its usual home along the northern Pacific coastlines of Russia and Japan.

With so many opportunities to go birding in New Mexico, the Department of Game and Fish, in collaboration with state, federal and non-profit partners, created the New Mexico Birding Trail to highlight more than 40 of the most attractive birding locations throughout southwest New Mexico. The guide includes maps, birding tips, site descriptions and contact information to help aid you in identifying birding sites.

“This program is a great way for the amateur birder to get started and the most experienced birder to find new places,” said Mason Cline, bird program manager for the Department of Game and Fish.

With the spring migration just around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan your birding trips in April and May.

 

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/adventure/rare-birds-often-stop-by-new-mexico-and-trail-is-great-way-to-see-them/article_6cb3a480-99ab-11ec-baa0-0bddf32f4426.html