Download Sabino Creek Important Bird Area

Sabino Creek Important Bird Area:
A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Scott L. Wilbor
August 2006
Tucson Audubon Society
T&E, Inc.
Tucson Audubon and the Arizona Important Bird
Areas Program
This document was written by Kendall Kroesen, Habitat Restoration Project Manager, and Scott
Wilbor, Arizona Important Bird Areas Program Conservation Biologist, Tucson Audubon
Society.
This document is made available by the Tucson Audubon Society and the Arizona Important Bird
Areas (IBA) Program. Tucson Audubon Society is dedicated to improving the quality of the
environment by providing education, conservation, and recreation programs, as well as
environmental leadership and information. The Society co-administers the Arizona IBA Program
with leadership of the program’s avian science initiative and southern Arizona IBA conservation
efforts, conducts riparian habitat restoration, provides environmental education opportunities for
children and adults, guides public policy-makers on environmental issues, runs two Audubon
Nature Shops and manages conservation lands in both Pima and Santa Cruz Counties. Tucson
Audubon is southeast Arizona’s leader in introducing people to the joys of bird watching. Contact
Tucson Audubon at:
Tucson Audubon Society
300 E. University Blvd., #120
Tucson, AZ 85705
[email protected]
(520) 622-5266
www.tucsonaudubon.org
The Arizona Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program is part of a worldwide effort to identify areas
with important bird habitat, and to work with landowners and managers to maintain that habitat in
a way that protects bird populations. The program seeks to involve citizens in bird population
monitoring at IBAs and promotes the conservation of important habitat for birds. It is overseen by
the National Audubon Society in the United States and Bird Life International globally. The
Arizona IBA Program is jointly administrated by Audubon Arizona and the Tucson Audubon
Society. For more information, contact:
Tice Supplee, Director of Bird Conservation
Audubon Arizona
4250 E. Camelback Road, Suite 310K
Phoenix, AZ 85018
[email protected]
(602) 468-6470
Scott Wilbor, Arizona Important Bird Areas Program Conservation Biologist
Tucson Audubon Society
300 E. University Blvd., #120
Tucson, AZ 85705
[email protected]
(520) 628-1730
©
Copyright Tucson Audubon Society, August 2006
i
Acknowledgements
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, with matching funds from Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona
Audubon Council and the T & E, Inc. funded this Sabino Creek Important Bird Area Habitat
Guide through a grant to Tucson Audubon Society’s Arizona Important Bird Areas Program.
Tucson Audubon members also supported this effort. We thank each of these organizations and
Tucson Audubon members for their essential support of conservation efforts for southern Arizona
riparian areas.
We thank all staff members at Tucson Audubon Society for their contributions in support of this
document and grant management. In particular, we especially thank the Executive Director, Sonja
Macys, for her review, suggestions and editing of this landowner guide. We also especially thank
volunteer June Scroggin who donated her time and expertise to produce the final layout design
for this guide.
ii
Contents
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1
SABINO CREEK ........................................................................................................................................... 1
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT ............................................................................................................... 2
WATER ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
VEGETATION .............................................................................................................................................. 3
WILDLIFE AND BIRDS OF SABINO CREEK ................................................................................................... 4
AS AN IMPORTANT BIRD AREA................................................................................................................... 6
THREATS TO SABINO CREEK ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................... 8
DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 8
INVASIVE EXOTIC PLANTS AND ANIMALS .................................................................................................. 8
DOMESTIC ANIMALS .................................................................................................................................. 9
LANDSCAPING/PRUNING OF RIPARIAN SPECIES .......................................................................................... 9
UNWISE WILDLIFE FEEDING ..................................................................................................................... 10
GROUNDWATER PUMPING—DESERTIFICATION ........................................................................................ 10
ROADWAYS/ROADKILL ............................................................................................................................ 11
HUMAN CHANGES TO FLOODPLAIN, EROSION .......................................................................................... 11
WOOD CUTTING ....................................................................................................................................... 11
WILDCAT DUMPING/TRASH/LITTER ......................................................................................................... 11
FIRE .......................................................................................................................................................... 11
LANDOWNER GUIDANCE..................................................................................................................... 12
STARTING INSIDE YOUR HOME ................................................................................................................. 12
OUTSIDE YOUR HOME .............................................................................................................................. 12
Feeding and Watering Wildlife ........................................................................................................... 12
The Plants in Your Landscape ............................................................................................................ 14
The Water in Your Landscape............................................................................................................. 14
The Shape of Your Landscape............................................................................................................. 17
IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ........................................................................................................................ 17
Deed Restrictions for Conservation.................................................................................................... 17
HOW YOU CAN BENEFIT BIRD SPECIES OF CONCERN.............................................................. 20
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................................... 23
APPENDIX A: BIRDS SPECIES OF CONCERN OF SABINO CREEK ............................................ 24
APPENDIX B: NATIVE PLANTS USEFUL IN HABITAT RESTORATION AND WHERE TO
FIND THEM ............................................................................................................................................... 25
1. NATIVE PLANTS USEFUL IN HABITAT RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT .......................................... 25
2. SOURCES OF NATIVE PLANTS AND SEED .............................................................................................. 26
APPENDIX C: SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF SPECIES MENTIONED IN THIS DOCUMENT .......... 27
PLANTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 27
BIRDS ....................................................................................................................................................... 27
FISH .......................................................................................................................................................... 28
MAMMALS................................................................................................................................................ 28
REPTILES .................................................................................................................................................. 28
AMPHIBIANS ............................................................................................................................................. 28
INVERTEBRATES ....................................................................................................................................... 28
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................................... 29
iii
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Introduction
This document is a guide for landowners who want to help assure the survival of riparian
(streamside) habitat along Sabino Creek. It is designed to give practical advice to those who enjoy
the creek’s lush vegetation and colorful wildlife and want to see them continue to thrive.
Figure 1: Dense riparian vegetation growing along Sabino Creek. Photo Credit: Scott L. Wilbor.
Sabino Creek
Sabino Creek is one of the principal streams flowing from the Santa Catalina Mountains into the
Tucson basin. After a long trip down from the sides of Mt. Lemmon, the creek emerges onto the
sedimentary deposits that form the “Foothills” area of Tucson. It runs through the Sabino Creek
Recreation Area, which is part of the Coronado National Forest and then onto private lands.
Farther down it converges with Tanque Verde Creek.
Intact riparian habitat, such as that found along Sabino Creek, has been all but eliminated from
the state of Arizona. Statewide, it is estimated that only 5% of this habitat remains, yet it provides
food, shelter and 80% of the state’s wildlife in some portion of their life cycle. Sabino Creek is an
important resource. It is one of the few remaining locations within urban Tucson where riparian
habitat, and the creatures that inhabit it, can be conserved.
Introduction
1
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Environmental Context
The portion of Sabino Creek between the Coronado National Forest and Tanque Verde Creek is
mostly privately owned. Wildlife shares this area with people, their pets, their homes, their
landscaped yards, their schools, and other human uses. The creek can be a place where people,
environment and wildlife all get along, as long as people are willing to take a few steps toward
coexistence.
The Arizona Important Bird Areas Program has identified Sabino Creek and Bear Creek as an
“Important Bird Area.” The Sabino Creek floodplain is designated by the Sonoran Desert
Conservation Plan as an “Important Riparian Area.” Here are a few specific characteristics of the
creek that make it special.
Figure 2: Map showing where Sabino Creek sits within the Tucson-area watershed. Photo credit: Pima
County.
Figure 3: Aerial photo of the lower end of the Sabino recreation area and the northern end of the privately
held portion of Sabino Creek. Photo credit: Pima County.
Environmental Context
2
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Figure 4: Pima County’s Conservation Land System designations for Sabino Creek from the National
Forest boundary south to the Pantano Wash. Blue is designated “Important Riparian Areas;” dark green is
“Biological Core Management Areas;” light green is “Multiple Use Management Areas;” The smaller
blue area to the left is Ventana Wash. Near the top, Bear Creek comes in from the east to join Sabino
Creek. Photo Credit: Pima County.
Water
The upstream part of the creek is considered to have “perennial” water (usually flowing all year)
while the lower part has “intermittent” flow. Flowing surface water in the Tucson area is now
much rarer than it was 100 years ago.
Flowing water rarely reaches Tanque Verde Creek, but instead sinks into the sandy creek bed. As
it does so, it recharges the local aquifer. Most of the aquifers in the Tucson area have been
pumped to such a degree that the water table is now much lower. This has caused riparian
vegetation to die, increased pumping costs, and caused wells to yield more heavily mineralized
water. While there is still intact riparian vegetation along Sabino Creek, pumping has increased
and is a threat to this vegetation.
Vegetation
Unlike most of the Tucson area, where it’s common to find exotic trees, vegetation along Sabino
Creek is thick with cottonwoods, willows, ashes, elderberries and other native trees, and only
occasional non-natives. Shrubs are not the usual desert fare but consist of more water-loving
plants such as buttonbushes, native cotton, white-ball acacia, desert honeysuckle and many
others. On the floor of the floodplain, although some non-native weeds have invaded, there are
plenty of native wildflowers and grasses.
Tall trees and dense, green vegetation are a sight for sore eyes. They help make Sabino Creek a
scenic wonder. A shady, bare-foot stroll in the creek on a hot summer day is a treasure in Tucson.
As well, this cool, green environment is critical for wildlife.
Environmental Context
3
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Figure 5: Ash and cottonwoods intermix in this upper reach of Sabino Creek on private land.
Photo credit: The Nature Conservancy.
Wildlife and Birds of Sabino Creek
Habitat along streams and rivers is extremely important as a corridor for movement of local
wildlife, a place for them to find food, a nesting area for native birds, and as a stopover for birds
making long-distance migrations through the Sonoran Desert.
Many wildlife species depend entirely on riparian habitat. Many others use it at one time or
another in their lives. Mammals like bobcats, opossums, foxes, coatis, raccoons, deer, bats, and
many others, live in the rich creek floodplain. A large range of reptiles and amphibians also call
Sabino Creek home. One native fish, the Gila chub, still inhabits Sabino Creek and while others
have disappeared, the creek holds potential to support reintroductions of those species.
Birds love Sabino Creek. Over 100 species can be found there. Some, like Abert’s Towhee, spend
their entire lives there and are entirely dependent on riparian vegetation to find food and places to
nest. Others that winter in the tropics come in the spring to nest along the creek, such as Bell’s
Vireo and Brown-crested Flycatcher. Yet others, such as the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, nest in the
far north but come south in the winter and depend on the creek’s large riparian trees to find their
food. Still more species of birds winter in the south and nest to our north, but need to make stops
in riparian vegetation along their migration route. These include birds such as Lazuli Buntings
and Wilson’s Warblers. Several of the species found along the creek have declined in southern
Arizona due to the loss of riparian habitat in other areas.
Environmental Context
4
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Figure 6: Brown-crested Flycatcher, a summer breeding species along Sabino Creek.
Photo credit: Christopher James Vincent.
Figure 7: Ruby-crowned Kinglet, an over-wintering species along Sabino Creek.
Photo credit: James Prudente
Figure 8: Lazuli Bunting, a short-distance migrant species (and potential nesting species) that uses Sabino
Creek. Photo credit: rshantz.com
Environmental Context
5
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Figure 9: Wilson's Warbler, a long-distance migrant species that uses Sabino Creek.
Photo credit: rshantz.com
As an Important Bird Area
Audubon’s Important Bird Area (IBA) Program in Arizona reviewed and approved Sabino and
Bear Creek as an IBA in 2004. Sabino and Bear Creeks qualified for IBA status because they
have significant populations of species listed as “Species of Conservation Concern”. The IBA
Program classifies any species listed by international union, federal or state
government/organization, or the Audubon WatchList, as “Species of Conservation Concern.”
Population numbers of these species are reviewed by the IBA Science Committee to assess their
significance in regards to meeting this criterion.
Populations of the following nesting species were determined to be significant: Broad-billed
Hummingbird, Costa’s Hummingbird, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Bell’s Vireo, Lucy’s
Warbler, Abert’s Towhee and Rufous-winged Sparrow. Also, present, but in lesser numbers are
Elf Owl, Gilded Flicker, Purple Martin and Brewer’s Sparrow. Additionally, Belted Kingfisher, a
relatively uncommon species in Arizona, spends the winter within the Sabino and Bear Creeks
IBA. See Appendix A for the “listed” species by agencies and organizations that occur within this
IBA. In Section V we discuss some of these bird species and how they can benefit from riparian
habitat maintenance and enhancement.
The Important Bird Areas concept is one of citizen participation. This can include citizens
collecting bird data for scientific monitoring efforts. Or citizens can act as site stewards, taking
notes of ecological conditions, cooperating with public land managers, working to clean up trash,
and improving the ecosystem. Or people can participate in habitat restoration, working to create
wildlife habitat on their own land or participating with groups who have programs to remove
invasive non-native plants, in order to benefit native plant communities and wildlife populations
that do better in native vegetation. The Tucson Audubon Society and the Arizona Important Bird
Areas Program has made the Sabino and Bear Creeks IBA a priority for conservation attention
given its uniqueness in the Sonoran desert, importance to bird species of concern, and importance
to human communities within the Tucson basin.
Environmental Context
6
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Figure 10: Broad-billed Hummingbird. Photo credit: John H. Hoffman.
Figure 11: Bell's Vireo. Photo credit: Steve Maslowski/USFWS.
Figure 12: Abert's Towhee. Photo credit: John H. Hoffman.
Environmental Context
7
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Threats to Sabino Creek Environment
Today there are many threats to the unique vegetation and wildlife along Sabino Creek. These
threats will be described briefly. Following a description of threats, landowners will be provided
guidance as to how to keep the creek healthy.
Development
Development of homes, schools and other types of construction reduce the amount of habitat that
is available to wildlife. They result in less native vegetation, more pavement and many other
impediments that reduce the usefulness to wildlife of surrounding habitat. This is particularly true
when developments invade the actual floodplain.
To this point, much of the development near Sabino Creek has been individual dwellings on large
lots. This conserves more habitat than large, high density housing developments. Along much of
the creek lot sizes are still relatively large. However, continued subdivision of lots and new
construction could continue to remove habitat.
Invasive Exotic Plants and Animals
Many non-native plants and animals have arrived in the Sabino Creek floodplain, and others may
arrive in the future. Some of these can have a profoundly negative effect on wildlife habitat.
Invasive exotic plants currently found in the floodplain include African sumac, arundo (giant
reed), thistles, red brome, Bermuda grass, Lehmann lovegrass and Johnson grass. Without the
normal checks and balances that control them in their home ranges, such plants often grow
rampant and out compete the native plants that provide more suitable habitat for wildlife.
Certain non-native animals have also gotten into the creek’s ecosystem. Again, without their
normal predators, they often compete with natives. At Sabino Creek, these include bullfrogs,
mosquitofish, green sunfish, and crayfish. These animals cause other native fish and frogs to
decline, and can make them disappear altogether. In fact, they have contributed to the
disappearance of the Gila topminnow from Sabino Creek, and declining numbers of Gila chub.
Figure 13: African sumac (Rhus lancea) is among the invasive, non-native plants that can be found along
Sabino Creek. Photo credit: Kendall Kroesen.
Threats to Sabino Creek Environment
8
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Domestic Animals
Cattle probably no longer have access to most of Sabino Creek below the National Forest, but
they are a major threat to riparian areas where they do gain entrance.
When people build houses, they bring with them cats and dogs. When these domestic animals,
particularly cats, spend time outdoors off-leash, they are a major threat to wildlife. They are a
particularly great threat in the creek’s floodplain where wildlife is concentrated due to the rich
vegetation and cool, shady climate.
Landscaping/Pruning of Riparian Species
When people build homes they landscape the area around their homes. While landscaping may
provide a certain aesthetic, at times it may be inconsistent with providing habitat for wildlife. For
example, where native trees and plants remain in place, they are sometimes pruned in ways that
make them less useful to wildlife. Low branches of trees like mesquites and acacias may be
removed to “improve” their shape, but this may remove the low perches and nest locations that
some birds prefer, and reduce the tree’s food potential for birds that forage for small insects along
branches and stems. Likewise, some bushes that normally grow down to the ground and provide
cover and nesting opportunities for birds like quail may have their low branches removed too.
Often native plants are removed completely and non-natives are introduced. These non-natives
have not co-evolved with local wildlife and are not likely to be as useful to animals as are natives.
In addition, some of the non-native plants may be of the invasive variety noted above. These can
escape people’s yards and start to infest adjacent natural areas.
Non-native plants may also be more water-loving than many of the desert species—even native
species that grow in riparian areas. The non-natives may require additional watering which is not
wise in the desert, and could contribute to over-pumping the aquifer.
Non-native species, particularly turf grasses, are not particularly hardy and may require protection
from predators and weeds. This motivates people to use pesticides and herbicides to protect their
plants or lawns. Pesticides and herbicides can enter the food chain, build up in the bodies of
animals, and shorten their lives or reduce their reproductive rates.
Figure 14: Mesquites from which the bottom branches have been pruned, limiting habitat for some wildlife.
Photo credit: Kendall Kroesen.
Threats to Sabino Creek Environment
9
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Unwise Wildlife Feeding
People who live near natural areas are often tempted to feed wildlife. This can lure some animals
into yards where they are more likely to be killed by domestic cats and dogs.
Feeding wildlife can also present dangers to people and their pets. Food on the ground that
attracts rodents may also attract animals that eat rodents, such as rattlesnakes and coyotes.
Rattlesnakes may attack pets or people, and coyotes have been known to kill pets.
When javelinas or coyotes find food around houses, they may become accustomed to being
around people. But they do not become tame. They may become belligerent when they are
hungry. This endangers them as well as people, because the animals then must be controlled by
more forceful means.
The presence of javelinas may also bring in their main predator, the mountain lion. When
mountain lions become accustomed to hunting around houses, they are often killed in order to
protect people and their pets.
Except for birds, it is generally not a good idea to feed wild animals, and may soon be against
Arizona law to do so. Please see the section on “feeding and watering wildlife” below for tips on
safe feeding.
Groundwater Pumping—Desertification
Large riparian areas along Tucson’s major waterways have been turned into desert in part because
the water table has fallen in response to groundwater pumping. Pumping is one of the most
important causes of riparian habitat loss.
There are 186 wells within one mile of lower Sabino Creek. Most of them are domestic wells that
are not required to report the amount of water they pump. There are 75 wells that are required to
report, and together they pump about 3,603 acre-feet (1,174,041,153 gallons) out of the ground
per year. Pima County reports that Sabino Creek is among the streams in the county with the
highest annual reported pumping.
The survival of streamside habitat along Sabino Creek is threatened by the potential for
groundwater pumping to lower the water table below the root zone of riparian trees and shrubs.
Figure 15: Looking west, the confluence of Sabino and Tanque Verde Creeks and desertification of
riparian habitat. Photo credit: Kendall Kroesen.
Threats to Sabino Creek Environment
10
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Roadways/Roadkill
Some of the wildlife that lives along Sabino Creek is undoubtedly killed by vehicles on the roads
near the creek. For comparison, recent studies at Saguaro National Park suggest that 50,000
animals are killed every year on roads in and near the park. Road kills are already a significant
danger to wildlife, and expansion of road systems near the creek would increase the danger.
Human Changes to Floodplain, Erosion
Changes made to the width, depth or shape of floodplains often have detrimental effects on
wildlife habitat. This usually takes the form of efforts to control flooding where buildings or
bridges enter the floodplain. Flood control efforts often constrict the stream channel and, when
floods come, cause water velocities to increase.
This can result in loss of vegetation and “down-cut” streams, like the Santa Cruz River and the
Rillito. Erosion can take the stream bottom below the current water table, draining it and causing
it to lower still farther into the ground.
Wood Cutting
Healthy riparian forests contain trees of a wide range of ages, as well as dead wood from fallen
trees. The latter decay and become the host of wide variety of reptiles, arthropods and other
animals.
Cutting wood, even dead trees, decreases habitat opportunities for wildlife and weakens the entire
ecosystem.
Wildcat Dumping/Trash/Litter
Trash is not only unsightly, but can be a hazard to wildlife. Animals can eat trash items that are
not good for them, or they may get tangled in things like plastic six-pack holders. Illegal dumping
may introduce toxins into the environment if the materials dumped contain substances such as
photography chemicals, industrial chemicals, cleaning solutions, paints, pesticides, insecticides,
and so on.
Fire
Vegetation along Sabino Creek often looks wet and green. But streamside habitats such as this,
particular the mesquite bosques (forests) on the edges of the floodplain, are capable of burning.
The Tucson area has two dry seasons (spring and fall) when grasses and shrubs can be quite
desiccated. Drought can lengthen and accentuate these dry periods. Riparian forests will burn
easily at such times.
While fires may be a natural part of some ecosystems, increasing the frequency of fires through
human carelessness can damage streamside habitat irreparably.
Threats to Sabino Creek Environment
11
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Landowner Guidance
The following measures can help protect the scenic and wildlife-rich habitat along Sabino Creek.
They help wildlife populations stay at healthy levels, which is critical to their survival,
particularly during natural disasters such as floods or droughts.
Starting Inside your Home
Generally speaking, the more conservative we are with the resources we use, the easier we are on
the environment. If we buy products with less packaging, fewer trees are cut down. If we use
compact fluorescent lighting instead of traditional incandescent bulbs, less coal and oil are burned
in our power plants. And so on.
While there are many household conservation practices that help the environment in general
ways, conservative use of water very directly helps Sabino Creek. Installation of low-flow taps,
shower heads and toilets are the beginning of a conservative approach to water use. Look also for
low-water washing machines and dishwashers (you can start with the federal government’s
“Energy Star” program, at www.energystar.gov).
Those willing to go farther can investigate reuse of water. “Gray” water (water from sinks,
showers and washing machines) can be used to water plants in the landscape. A helpful pamphlet
about this is available from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
(azdeq.gov/environ/water/permits/download/graywater.pdf). More about this further on.
Of course, the most important step toward conservative water use is to think about where that
water is coming from. This helps you to think about how much of it you really need to use.
Outside Your Home
Nature knows what is best for wildlife. So, the more native vegetation you leave intact around
your home, the more habitats for wildlife your land will provide. Consider leaving as much of
your land as possible in its wild state.
Inevitably, some land around your home will not be in its wild state. There are many good
reasons for this. Some vegetation has to be removed in the process of construction work. (If you
are about to build a new home, consider recovering and potting some native plants for later
reintroduction to the landscape!)
Dense brush very near your home can result in fire danger. In addition, underbrush close to your
home may also encourage some wildlife that you don’t want close to your house, such as packrats
and the rattlesnakes that prey on them. You may also have ideas about how you want your
landscape be sculptured, rather than just taking what you get. These are all legitimate reasons for
designing a landscape, but think about incorporating the following ideas into your landscaping.
Feeding and Watering Wildlife
In the long run, wildlife is helped much more by intact, diverse, native vegetation than by
artificial feeding. In addition, feeding wildlife can have serious side-effects. Wildlife, particularly
javelinas and coyotes, can become accustomed to foraging in residential areas. They will not
become tame, but they may become habituated (i.e. unafraid of people). When this happens, they
often have to be controlled. This turns out worse for them than it is for us.
In addition, at the time of this writing the Arizona State Legislature is considering making illegal
the feeding of wildlife (except birds and ground squirrels).
At Tucson Audubon many of us enjoy feeding birds. Here are some tips to feeding birds safely.
Landowner Guidance
12
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
1. Fill seed feeders with only the seed that birds will eat in one morning. Inevitably, some seeds
fall on the ground. During the rest of the day these will be picked up by doves and sparrows.
If seeds are still lying around at night, they may attract mammals like packrats and javelinas
that you don’t want around your house. Actually, you may not mind them so much, but they
can attract their predators, rattlesnakes and mountain lions. You may not want these around
your house. And it’s bad for them—again, they may get accustomed to being around
residences and have to be “controlled” (often killed).
2. For the same reason, don’t put food directly on the ground for birds (including quail blocks).
Other animals will get to it, starting the same chain of events.
3. Limit the amount of food available in one place. When large numbers of seeds are present in
one place, particularly on the ground, big flocks of doves and pigeons may congregate. Avian
diseases can spread through these birds, and then get picked up by other birds they mingle
with, or by predators (such as hawks) that eat them.
4. Clean seed feeders occasionally. Use a soapy solution, or a bleach solution.
5. Properly maintain hummingbird feeders. Use only sugar water made from granulated sugar
(no honey or other substitutes). Mix one part sugar to four parts water (perhaps five parts
water in the warm months, when water may evaporate and concentrate the solution). Do not
add food coloring. The red-colored parts built into feeders are more than enough to attract
hummingbirds. Clean feeders regularly since unwanted bacteria grow easily in sugar-water.
Clean them at least once a week in the warm months.
Figure 16: Black-chinned Hummingbird at feeder. Photo credit: rshantz.com.
6. Place feeders in open areas where birds have a 360-degree view and are less likely to be
surprised by cats or other predators.
7. Place feeders in areas where birds will not run the risk of colliding with glass. To protect
birds from collisions with windows, particularly large clear windows, apply silhouettes of
hawks or owls (or other materials).
Here are some tips about providing water for birds.
1. Birds congregate at bird baths the same way they do around excessive seed. Keep bird baths
clean, particularly in the warm months. The easiest way to do this is to let the bird bath dry
out once a week and spend a full day baking in the sun. This will kill microorganisms. Brush
dirt and debris out of the bath, and then refill.
Landowner Guidance
13
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
2. Some people put make-shift water sources on the ground. This may attract more than birds. If
you don’t want to attract rodents, javelinas, coyotes and the other animals that prey on them
consider elevating the water or buying a typical bird bath on a pedestal.
3. Like feeders, place bird baths in open areas where predators are less likely to be able to sneak
up on birds.
The Plants in Your Landscape
There are many, many plant species native to the Sonoran Desert that you can use in your
landscape. Native wildlife knows how to use native plants, and the plants often benefit from the
presence of wildlife (e.g., through pollination). Plants and wildlife have co-evolved—they have
adapted themselves to each other.
Many native plants are very attractive as well. They may attract hummingbirds, provide
protection and nesting opportunities to other birds, or just be places where animals can rest in the
shade.
A list of native plants, and where you can find them, can be found in Appendix B.
The farther away a plant comes from, the less likely it is to benefit our local wildlife, and the
more likely it is to become a pest. Consider using only native plants in your landscaping. If you
use other plants, please investigate them to make sure they are not among the invasive non-native
plants that are threatening our Sonoran Desert Environment. Good sources of information are the
Arizona Native Plant Society exotic species information (www.aznps.org/html/exotics.html) and
the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Invaders Program
(www.desertmuseum.org/invaders/invaders_about.htm).
Native plants have yet another benefit. They are also resistant to native pests. You will not have
to use pesticides on native plants they way some people do on lawns and other exotic shrubs.
Pesticides get into the soil, into insects, into birds and reptiles that eat insects, and into other
animals that eat them. This would not be a healthy thing for Sabino Creek’s animals.
Do you really need a lawn? Lawns use huge amounts of water—way more than you can supply
through rainwater harvesting or gray water use (more about those below). They are often attacked
by pests, ranging from insects to rabbits. They temp you to introduce toxic herbicides and
chemical fertilizers. If you must have a lawn, try to keep it small. Put it in places where trees or
your house will shade it, to reduce water use.
The Water in Your Landscape
The water that comes out of the spigot in your back yard comes from the aquifer or, in some
cases, from the Colorado River. Tax money is spent to get it to you and to make sure it is clean
enough to drink and shower in. Water that goes to your landscape plants does not need to be that
clean (or expensive). There are other ways of getting water to your landscape besides your
potable water supply.
Rainwater harvesting: Landscapes may be shaped either so that rainwater runs off, or so that it
stays. If it stays, it soaks into the ground and provides moisture to the roots of plants. If it runs off
it may soak in somewhere, but it doesn’t help your landscape.
Think of making your landscape “concave” where ever possible, rather than “convex.”
Concavities, like small basins and swales, catch water and hold it, allowing it to soak in (Figure
16). If you plant your landscape plants in or near basins, they will benefit from the additional soil
moisture.
Landowner Guidance
14
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Figure 17: Rainwater harvesting basin. Photo credit: Rodd Lancaster.
Plants that are planted at the tops of little hills or on slopes will benefit very little, since very little
rainwater will soak in around them. It is a shame that we see so much landscaping where plants
are planted on small, artificial hills that shed rainwater. The plants on these hills usually require
frequent watering, even if they are drought-tolerant native species.
Another way to encourage rain to soak in is to slow down any rainwater that runs in rivulets or
other small drainages. Normally dry, these fill with water when it rains. Putting small rock dams,
called “gabions,” across such drainages will slow water down, allowing some of it that collects
behind the dam to infiltrate. This also conserves fine soils and organic matter picked up by the
water, which tends to deposit in the gentle water behind the dam. Remember, the idea is not to
build a dam that stops all the water. It should be a “leaky” dam that lets water through, but slows
its flow. You should not try this with washes. The larger flows in washes require an engineered
gabion with rock that is wired in, and which is keyed deeply into the sides of the wash so that
high flows to not carry it away.
Worried about mosquitoes? Keep your basins small. Unless you have bedrock or very hard soil
very close to the surface, the rain that accumulates in the basins will soak in to the ground long
before mosquitoes have a chance to breed.
To take rainwater harvesting even further, you can pipe water from your house’s gutters and
downspouts into a tank or cistern. There are a variety of ways of doing this. Everything you could
possibly want to know about harvesting rainwater in our desert environment can be learned in a
new publication called Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands, by Brad Lancaster (available at
Tucson Audubon nature shops and online at www.tucsonaudubon.org; more information at
www.harvestingrainwater.com).
Gray Water: It is legal in Arizona to water your landscape with water from most of the sinks in
your house, as well as the bathtub and the washing machine. Before you start, read the rules for
gray water use available from the Water Conservation Alliance of Southern Arizona
(www.watercasa.org/pubs/pubsindex.htm) or the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
(azdeq.gov/environ/water/permits/download/graywater.pdf). Then consult a plumber or, if you
are handy, think about how to get water from these sources to your landscape. If you are building
a new house, think about building gray water into your plan.
Landowner Guidance
15
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
If you use gray water in your landscape, it is an excellent idea to use biodegradable soaps. A
variety of biodegradable soaps are available that won’t hurt the environment.
Mulch: Once you have watered your landscape, try to keep as much of that water in the soil.
Mulch is a great way to do that.
Mulch is insulation, usually organic, that is put on top of soil to reduce evaporation of water. The
best mulch is coarse organic matter that allows irrigation or rain to easily pass through it while
creating an insulating layer that discourages water from evaporating from the soil. Mulch also helps
keep soil temperatures cool which helps plants and the beneficial organisms that live in the soil.
The most common kinds of mulch are composted plant material, straw or other products such as
bark. Commercial composts are often available at building or landscape supply outlets. Be sure to
get mulch that is of a coarser variety. Very fine powdery mulches can harden and form waterrepellent surfaces or, if too thick, can soak the water rather than letting it through to the soil below.
Bales of straw are available at animal feed stores. Sometimes damaged bales or loose straw can
be acquired at a discount, or even free if you are willing to sweep up the loose stuff yourself.
Break up pieces of the straw bale and distribute it on the soil around your plants.
Mulch is more important in the warm months, because that is when the potential for evaporation
is highest. Some garden plants may benefit from removal of mulch in the cold months so that soil
temperatures rise.
Drip irrigation: Even when you use gray water and harvested rainwater, it is sometimes also
necessary to water them with tap water. If you irrigate, drip irrigation is by far the most efficient
way of delivering water to your plants. If you spray water on a plant with a hose, it will spread out
and sink in over a large area but only to a very shallow depth. Drip irrigation tends to sink in over a
smaller area but more deeply—along the entire depth of the root system of your landscape plants.
Figure 18: Setting up drip irrigation system for new plant establishment. Photo credit: Kendall Kroesen.
Landowner Guidance
16
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Drip systems can help your plants make it through the first year of their lives, when they are most
likely to die from heat and dryness. It can also help the plants weather extended periods of
drought.
It is easy to learn to install drip systems, and there are many landscape contractors who can do it
for you. If you install a drip system, we suggest that you do not install a timer. Timers will turn
on your drip system whether you plants need water or not. Often they do not, particularly during
the winter and during the rainy summer “monsoon” season. Keep an eye on your yard. If times
seem hard, turn on your drip system. Leave it on for several hours so that water soaks deeply into
the soil. But you don’t need to turn it on often. Even in extreme drought conditions, it is usually
not necessary to turn on a drip system more than once a week.
The Shape of Your Landscape
An efficient way of landscaping is to make the most drastic changes close to your house, and
allow nature to take its course a little farther away. This is sometimes called the “zone system.”
Anything that takes more water and labor, like a vegetable garden or showy flowers, can be in the
zone closest to the house. Plants here are easier to water (perhaps with water from the roof!), it is
easier to get to them when you want to pull weeds or cultivate, and it is easier to defend them
from hungry rabbits and javelinas!
A little farther from the house, consider landscaping with an intermediate zone of native plants—
such as those that attract birds or butterflies. You might extend a drip irrigation system into this
zone to help young plants and to use during times of drought. Try to plant in basins or swales that
trap and infiltrate rainwater.
In the zone farthest from the house, just let nature take its course. You might add some more
native plant species to this area if it has been degraded in any way.
There are birds and other animals that use all kinds of vegetation structure, whether it be the tree
canopy, the medium-height vegetation, or the low stuff (“understory”). If you landscape with a
diversity of “structures,” as well as a diversity of native plant species, you will be helping a wider
variety of creatures.
By the same token, try not to prune trees and shrubs excessively, particularly in the natural zone.
Some people prune low limbs off mesquites, and other trees and shrubs. This can be a good idea
immediately next to your house where you don’t want to encourage packrats or give snakes
places to hide. However, try to avoid pruning farther from the house. There are a lot of animals
that use low-lying vegetation to rest, hide from predators, find food, and to nest. Quail need lots
of ground cover to feel safe, and in which to hide their nests. Curved-billed Thrashers build their
nests low in chollas or thorny shrubs. Many other riparian bird species, like Broad-billed
Hummingbird and Bell’s Vireo, have declined even in our remaining streamside habitats because
people have cleared the low native brush and shrubby trees where they prefer to nest.
In Your Neighborhood
Deed Restrictions for Conservation
If you want to assure that a portion of your land is preserved for nature, consider creating a
conservation deed restriction, otherwise known as a conservation easement. This is not like a
utility or road easement that allows egress across your property, nor does it infer you are granting
public access to your property. A conservation easement is a legal real estate agreement regarding
management of your privately held land. Essentially, a conservation easement is an agreement to
leave the land within the easement to nature, and therefore not to develop the land for human use,
Landowner Guidance
17
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
or degrade its ecological values. The land still belongs to you and your heirs, but typically a
conservation organization “manages” the easement— monitoring it to make sure it is being
managed in accordance with the agreement. Every conservation easement is a unique contract
tailored to the particular property and interests of a landowner. Future owners are bound by this
agreement, as it remains attached to the property’s title. An easement can allow specific current
land uses to occur in accordance with the goals of the easement. Typically, the goal of a
conservation easement is to protect important vegetation and wildlife habitat values of the
property. Property owners can obtain monetary (tax) benefits through the deed of a conservation
easement. Conservation organizations such as Arizona Open Land Trust and Tucson Audubon
can consult with you about how conservation easements work.
Pets
Both cats and dogs can be hard on wildlife. According to the National Audubon Society,
“Scientists estimate that free-roaming cats (owned, stray, and feral) kill hundreds of millions of
birds and possibly more than a billion small mammals in the U.S. each year.” The single most
useful thing you can do for wildlife may be to keep your cats indoors. At least consider severely
limiting their access to wildlife. Bells on collars alone will not make much of a difference.
Cats generally live longer and healthier lives when they are kept indoors.
If there are feral (wild) cats in your neighborhood, consider getting together with your neighbors
to do something about it. Feral cats usually have to get most of their food from their environment,
where as your house cat may be less motivated to hunt due to that tasty cat food you give it. Feral
cats can be trapped. If you don’t like the idea of handing them over to animal control, there may
be other options. In some cases it may be possible to gradually tame them, at least to some extent,
and keep them indoors. Another strategy is to have them spayed or neutered, and return them to
the wild. They will go on eating birds, but at least they won’t reproduce and continue the cycle.
Smaller pets, such as turtles, snakes, fish, crayfish and so on, should never be allowed to escape
into the wild. They usually don’t survive long, so it is hard on them. If they do survive, they are
likely to compete with native animals. Some become quite destructive. If there are small pets that
you don’t want anymore, consult the Humane Society about what to do with them.
Trash
If you keep trash barrels outside, consider using ones with lids that animals have a hard time
getting into. Or keep trash barrels inside the garage where animals can’t get to them. When
animals get into your trash, it can encourage them to become inappropriately accustomed to
foraging close to your house. If they become a problem, it is more like they that will get hurt. And
often when trash gets knocked over, some of it blows away before you can pick it up. It can end
up in the floodplain where other more timid animals may get hurt by it.
Traffic
Remember that vehicles kill a lot of wildlife. Drive carefully in your neighborhood, particularly
after dark. Do some people drive recklessly on your streets? Lobby for “traffic calming” devices,
like traffic circles at stop signs and “speed humps.” These make people safer, as well as wildlife.
New Homes
If you are planning a new home near Sabino Creek, consider building into its design as many as
possible of the principles discussed above. In addition, you can assure you are building in a way
that is sensitive to the environment by complying with “LEED standards.” See more information
at the U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org).
Landowner Guidance
18
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Very importantly, consider whether your building site is in the creek’s floodplain. (This
information is available from Pima County Flood Control [Contact them at (520) 243-1800 or
http://rfcd.pima.gov.]. If you are within the floodplain, consider very carefully the danger of
flooding to your home, and the potential disruption of the floodplain by protective dikes or other
structures you might build to protect your home.
Wood Cutting
If a tree falls in the forest…pretend you didn’t hear it! There are problems both with the removal
of dead wood from the environment (where many species make use of it) and with burning it in
the fireplace. Fires often don’t heat homes efficiently and they make smoke that contributes to air
pollution and asthmatic attacks. Sparks can get out of chimneys and cause range fires.
Never Say Never
We are not saying that you can’t ever treat yourself to a fire in the fireplace, perhaps on a special
occasion. By the same token, a small lawn or the occasional long, hot shower isn’t the end of the
world. And it’s okay to prune your vegetation where it is really necessary.
It’s more a matter of emphasis. If we apply a little thought and engineering to our homes, our
landscapes, and our daily behavior, we can make big strides toward conserving the beauty and
rich animal life of Sabino Creek. The ash and cottonwood trees greening in the spring, the dense
sprays of elderberries, the desert honeysuckle being visited by hummingbirds, the white-tailed
deer walking through the trees—we don’t have to loose those things the way we have lost them
along the Rillito, the Santa Cruz River and elsewhere.
Talk to Your Neighbors
Encourage your neighbors to read this document and to think about how they can make their land
friendlier to wildlife.
Figure 19: Touring Sabino Creek by horseback. Photo credit: Scott Wilbor.
Landowner Guidance
19
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
How You Can Benefit Bird Species of Concern
Four avian species that nest in good numbers along the creek that landowners can easily benefit
are the Bell’s Vireo, Abert’s Towhee, Broad-billed Hummingbird and Lucy’s Warbler. By
promoting the growth of native grasses, shrubs and small trees (understory and mid-story plants)
you can increase the nesting and foraging opportunities for Bell’s Vireo and Abert’s Towhee. By
promoting flowering forbs that provide good nectar sources, you can benefit the food resources of
Broad-billed Hummingbird (as well as Costa’s Hummingbird). By promoting lush mesquite
bosques along the creek, with trees large enough to host natural cavities for nesting, you can help
Lucy’s Warbler find good foraging and nesting opportunities. Critical for these bosques is that
local water tables remain high (< 49 feet) in order to support the larger, more well-developed
velvet mesquite, hackberry, and elderberry trees that comprise this forest community.
Figure 20: Lucy’s Warbler. Photo credit: rshantz.com.
The two avian species that may be the most threatened if development pressure increases along
the creek are the Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet and the Rufous-winged Sparrow. NorthernBeardless Tyrannulets need a broad riparian forest, with areas of open woodlands where they can
forage for riparian-associated insects. Generally, these birds are found using understory
vegetation beneath a cottonwood or willow canopy, and nesting on larger tent caterpillar web
clusters or mistletoe clumps hanging from the large cottonwood or Goodding’s willow trees.
Apparently, these birds are sensitive to frequent human disturbance, and may abandon a site if
disturbed too often. Further reductions in riparian forest width and too frequent disturbance are
thus the prime threats facing this species.
Rufous-winged Sparrows find habitat along Sabino Creek where a grassy understory is present
with scattered trees, which can include mesquite, palo verde, acacia, desert hackberry, graythorn,
ocotillo and various species of cholla. Key grasses include tobosa grass and false grama. A loss of
these creek-side, savannah (presently rare) and desert wash habitats could cause this species to
disappear from the drainage. Rufous-winged Sparrows nest close to the ground in cholla, palo
verde, mesquite and desert hackberry (<10 feet from the ground), thus making them more
vulnerable to ground predators like free roaming cats. Key threats are thus a loss of open
savannah habitat patches, particularly on the edge of the more dense riparian forest, the threat of
increasing predation by cats or by native predators finding supplemental food near human
habitation (e.g., raccoons, opossum).
How You Can Benefit Bird Species of Concern
20
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Figure 21: Open mesquite bosque savannah along Sabino Creek, a favored habitat of Rufous-winged
Sparrow. Photo Credit: Kendall Kroesen.
One bird species not found along Sabino Creek that Audubon would like to see re-established is
the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. This species undoubtedly did nest along the Sabino Creek, Tanque
Verde Creek, Rillito Creek, and Santa Cruz River near Tucson, probably until the middle of the
last century. Loss of a high water table from pumping groundwater has eliminated historical
habitat along the latter three drainages. But along Sabino Creek, from the lower reaches within
the Coronado National Forest to Canyon Ranch, the riparian forest may in the future again
support a few pairs of cuckoos with proper management.
Particularly, essential to this recovery would be that water table levels remain stable, and even
increase in certain reaches where riparian vegetation has become notably sparse. Yellow-billed
Cuckoos require densely wooded riparian corridors, with multi-layered mid-story and canopy
trees present, notably cottonwood, Goodding’s willow, velvet ash, Arizona walnut, and mesquite.
Dense tall canopy mesquite bosques can also provide nesting and foraging habitat for this species.
Riparian forests also have to be of sufficient width to provide conditions for cuckoos to find wellhidden interior nest sites, and to allow sufficient habitat to support sufficient food resources for a
nesting pair. Cuckoos feed heavily on tent caterpillars and katydids in riparian vegetation. This
riparian ecosystem must be shaded enough to promote appropriately humid conditions for
optimum caterpillar production, thus providing sufficient prey to support nesting cuckoos. Water
table levels will need to be managed so that they are less than 9 feet below surface, with annual
fluctuations less than 1.6 feet, in order to support a multi-structured riparian forest. If nesting does
occur, promoting limited human disturbance during sensitive nesting periods at nest sites would
be required. The return of these birds to Sabino Creek would be a highlight of the summer for
many residents. The calls these cuckoos elicit from their hidden habitats are bizarre and the
chasing behaviors they perform in the canopy of this ecosystem can be fascinating.
How You Can Benefit Bird Species of Concern
21
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Figure 22: Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet.
Photo credit: James Prudente.
Figure 23: Rufous-winged Sparrow. Photo credit: rshantz.com.
Figure 24: Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Photo
credit: J.A. Spendelow/USGS.
Figure 25: Cottonwood/Willow Yellow-billed Cuckoo habitat
in southeast Arizona. Photo credit: Tice Supplee.
How You Can Benefit Bird Species of Concern
22
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Conclusion
Sabino Creek is a lush riparian oasis flowing down into the Sonoran desert. It is also a creek that
flows into less dense outer suburbs as well as the more densely suburban development of
northeast Tucson. As such it faces tremendous challenges now and in the years ahead as
concerned citizens of Tucson work to conserve its many values. For centuries wildlife and birds
have found the Sabino and Bear Creek drainages to be ideal habitat to forage, nest, den, and
reproduce. As other key riparian habitat in the Tucson basin was lost or degraded, the importance
of the Sabino and Bear Creeks’ riparian habitat has grown significantly for wildlife and people.
People living throughout the Tucson basin love Sabino Creek: its serenity, water, towering cliffs,
boulders, spectacular vegetation, and its unique and diverse riparian-associated wildlife. Tucson
Audubon Society and its Important Bird Areas Program are committed to conserving all these
values.
We know that the residents along Sabino Creek are also committed to its conservation and want
to continue to enjoy all the opportunities a healthy creek can provide. We hope the information in
this manual has provided you with the necessary knowledge, where to get further information,
and how to work to enhance, restore, and conserve this habitat and the bird populations of the
creek. You may be already doing your part for creek, and we applaud you. Still there will always
be vigilance required to address emerging threats. We hope that with increased awareness and
greater knowledge you can renew your efforts both in your own home and along the creek to
benefit birds and their habitat. Working together we can continue to see cottonwoods, sycamores,
ash, and mesquite and hummingbirds, vireos, warblers, and sparrows, all thrive along Sabino
Creek well into the future!
Figure 26: Mindful conservation efforts will result in a healthy Sabino Creek. Photo credit: Kendall
Kroesen.
Conclusion
23
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Appendix A: Birds Species of Concern of Sabino
Creek
“Species of Conservation Concern” occurring within Sabino and Bear Creeks IBA (data from
1993 to 2004, various sources). The Arizona IBA Program classifies species as “Species of
Conservation Concern” if listed by any of the agencies/organizations presented in this table.
Species
IUCN
(International
Union for the
Conservation
of Nature)
US Federal
T&E
Species
(Threatened
and
Endangered
Species)
National
Partners
in Flight
National
Audubon
WatchList
(Red)
X
Elf Owl
National
Audubon
WatchList
(Yellow)
USFWS
Birds of
Conservation
Concern1
X
X (33,34)
Broad-billed
Hummingbird
US
Forest
Service
Sensitive
Species
(Reg. 3)
X (34)
Costa’s
Hummingbird
X
Gilded
Flicker
X
X (34)
X
X (33,34)
Northern
BeardlessTyrannulet
X (34)
X
Purple Martin
Bell’s Vireo
X
X
X
X (33,34)
Lucy’s
Warbler
X
X
Abert’s
Towhee
X
X
Rufouswinged
Sparrow
X
Brewer’s
Sparrow
Arizona
Partners
in Flight
(Priority)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
(winter)
1
The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) has mapped ecologically distinct regions of North
America (Bird Conservation Regions, i.e., BCRs). Sabino and Bear Creeks IBA occurs on the border of two BCRs, the
Sonoran (BCR 33) and the Sierra Madre Occidental (BCR 34), therefore species listed by the US Fish and Wildlife
Service as Birds of Conservation Concern in either of these BCRs were considered Species of Conservation Concern
under Audubon’s IBA Program in Arizona.
Appendix A: Birds Species of Concern of Sabino Creek
24
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Appendix B: Native Plants Useful in Habitat
Restoration and Where to Find Them
1. Native Plants Useful in Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
Common Name
Latin Name
Function
Agave
Agave chrysantha
Nectar-bearing flowers May-June
Arizona ash
Fraxinus velutina
Overstory arthropod forage and nesting
Arizona water-willow
Justicia candicans
Nectar for hummingbirds
Brittlebush
Encelia farinose
Seeds for birds and off-season hummingbird nectar
Canyon beard-tongue
Penstemon pseudospectabilis
Hummingbird nectar
Canyon hackberry
Celtis reticulate
Fruit and arthropod forage
Catclaw acacia
Acacia greggii
Cover and forage for birds
Catclaw mimosa
Mimosa aculeaticarpa
Cover and forage
Cholla
Opuntia spp.
Pollinator forage and food for other animals
Chuparosa
Justicia californica
Nectar for Costa’s Hummingbird
Desert hackberry
Celtis pallida
Cover and edible berries
Desert honeysuckle
Anisacanthus thurberi
Hummingbird nectar
Desert lavender
Hyptis emoryi
Nectar for Costa’s Hummingbird
Desert willow
Chilopsis linearis
Nectar for hummingbirds
Fairy duster
Calliandra eriophylla
Off-season hummingbird nectar source
Foothills paloverde
Parkinsonia microphylla
Replicates typical Costa’s Hummingbird habitat
Four-wing saltbush
Atriplex canescens
Cover and edible seeds Abert’s Towhee and others
Fremont cottonwood
Populus fremontii
Yellow Warbler habitat
Goodding’s willow
Salix gooddingii
Yellow Warbler habitat
Graythorn
Ziziphus obtusifolia
Cover and edible berries for birds
Jojoba
Simmondsia chinensis
Replicates typical Costa’s Hummingbird habitat
Milkweed
Asclepias spp.
Visited by Broad-billed Hummingbirds
New Mexico thistle
Cirsium neomexicanum
Seed and nectar forage
Ocotillo
Fouqueria spendens
Nectar preference for Costa’s Hummingbird
Parry penstemon
Penstemon parryi
Hummingbird nectar
Quailbush
Atriplex lentiformis
Cover for birds like Abert’s Towhee
Sage
Salvia spp.
Nectar for hummingbirds
Saguaro
Cereus giganteus
Costa’s Hummingbird forage
Wolfberry
Lycium spp.
Cover and edible berries
Wright’s bee bush
Aloysia wrightii
Attracts arthropod bird prey
Appendix B: Native Plants Useful in Habitat Restoration and Where to Find Them
25
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
2. Sources of Native Plants and Seed
Catalina Heights Nursery
6074 E. Pima
Tucson, AZ 85712
(520) 298-2822
Some native plants available
Civano Nursery Garden Center
5301 S. Houghton Road
Tucson, AZ
(520) 546-9200
Desert Survivors Nursery
1020 W. Star Pass
Tucson, AZ
(520) 791-9309
Mesquite Valley Growers Nursery
8005 E. Speedway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85710
(520) 721-8600
Tohono Chul Park
7366 N. Paseo del Norte
Tucson, AZ 85704
(520) 742-6455
www.tohonochulpark.org
Nursery; Spring and Fall plant sales
Tucson Botanical Gardens Nursery
2150 N. Alvernon Way
Tucson, AZ 85712
(520) 326-9686, ext. 27
www.tucsonbotanical.org
Nursery (Oct. to May); Spring and Fall plant sales
Wildlands Restoration
2944 N. Castro Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85705
(520) 882-0969
[email protected]
Wholesale and retail source of native seed
Appendix B: Native Plants Useful in Habitat Restoration and Where to Find Them
26
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Appendix C: Scientific Names of Species Mentioned
in this Document
Plants
Common Name
African Sumac
Arizona Sycamore
Arizona Walnut
Arundo (Giant Reed)
Bermuda Grass
Blue Paloverde
Buttonbush
Catclaw Acacia
Desert Christmas Cactus
Desert Cotton
Desert Hackberry
Desert Honeysuckle
False Grama
Foothill Paloverde
Fremont Cottonwood
Goodding’s Willow
Graythorn
Johnson Grass
Lehmann Lovegrass
Mexican Elderberry
Mexican Paloverde
Net-leaf Hackberry
Ocotillo
Red Brome
Staghorn Cholla
Tobosa Grass
Velvet Ash
Velvet Mesquite
White-ball Acacia
White-thorn Acacia
Scientific Name
Rhus lancea
Platanus wrightii
Juglans major
Arundo donax
Cynodon dactylon
Parkinsonia florida
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Acacia greggii
Opuntia leptocaulis
Gossypium thurberi
Celtis pallida
Anisacanthus thurberi
Cathestecum erectum
Parkinsonia microphylla
Populus fremontii
Salix gooddingii
Ziziphus obtusifolia var. canescens
Sorghum halepense
Eragrostis lehmanniana
Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis
Parkinsonia aculeata
Celtis laevigata var. reticulata
Fouquieria splendens
Bromus rubens
Opuntia versicolor
Pleuraphis mutica
Fraxinus velutina
Prosopis velutina
Acacia angustissima
Acacia constricta
Birds
Common Name
Abert’s Towhee
Bell’s Vireo
Belted Kingfisher
Brewer’s Sparrow
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Bullock’s Oriole
Costa’s Hummingbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
Elf Owl
Gilded Flicker
Lazuli Bunting
Lucy’s Warbler
Scientific Name
Pipilo aberti
Vireo bellii
Ceryle alcyon
Spizella breweri
Cynanthus latirostris
Icterus bullockii
Calypte costae
Toxostoma curvirostre
Micrathene whitneyi
Colaptes chrysoides
Passerina amoena
Vermivora luciae
Appendix C: Scientific Names of Species Mentioned in this Document
27
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Common Name
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Purple Martin
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Rufous-winged Sparrow
Wilson’s Warbler
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Scientific Name
Camptostoma imberbe
Progne subis
Regulus calendula
Aimophila carpalis
Wilsonia pusilla
Coccyzus americanus
Fish
Common Name
Gila Chub
Gila Topminnow
Green Sunfish
Mosquitofish
Scientific Name
Gila intermedia
Poeciliopsis occidentalis
Lepomis cyanellus
Gambusia affinis
Mammals
Common Name
Big Brown Bat
Bobcat
Brazilian (Mexican) free-tailed Bat
Coati
Coyote
Desert Cottontail
Javelina/Collared Peccary
Lesser Long-nosed Bat
Mountain Lion
Pack Rats
Pallid Bat
Pocketed Free-tailed Bat
Raccoon
Virginia Opossum
Western Pipistrelle
White-tailed Deer
Yuma Myotis
Scientific Name
Eptesicus fuscus
Lynx rufus
Tadarida brasiliensis
Nasua nasua
Canis latrans
Sylvilagus audubonii
Tayassu tajacu
Leptonycteris curasoae
Felis concolor
Neotoma albigula
Antrozous pallidas
Nyctinomops femorosaccus
Procyon lotor
Didelphis virginiana
Pipistrellus Hesperus
Odocoileus virginianus
Myotis yumanesnesis
Reptiles
Common Name
Sonoran Mud Turtle
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Scientific Name
Kinosternon sonoriense
Crotalus atrox
Amphibians
Common Name
Bullfrog
Scientific Name
Rana catesbeiana
Invertebrates
Common Name
Crayfish
Katydids
Tent Caterpillar
Scientific Name
Orconectes virilis
Family Tettigoniidae
Malacosoma americana
Appendix C: Scientific Names of Species Mentioned in this Document
28
Sabino Creek Important Bird Area: A Habitat Guide for Landowners
Bibliography
Arizona Game and Fish Department, 1999. Landscaping for Desert Wildlife (2nd Edition).
Phoenix: Arizona Game and Fish Department. [Good primer for Tucson homeowners, though it
focuses on upland desert plants rather than riparian ones. Available free from the Arizona Game
and Fish Department office at 555 N. Greasewood Rd. in Tucson.]
Arizona Native Plant Society and Tucson Audubon Society, 1997. Desert Bird Gardening.
Tucson: Arizona Native Plant Society and Tucson Audubon Society. [Small booklet available in
Tucson Audubon Nature Shops.]
Briggs, Mark, 1996. Riparian Ecosystem Recovery in Arid Lands: Strategies and References.
Tucson: University of Arizona Press. [Technical guide to riparian habitat restoration.]
Chambers, Nina and Trica Oshant Hawkins, 2005. Invasive Plants of the Sonoran Desert.
Tucson: Sonoran Institute, Environmental Education Exchange, and National Fish and Wildlife
Service. [Good introduction (in both English and Spanish) to invasive, non-native plants in our
area. Available from the Sonoran Institute by calling them at 290-0828 or going by their office at
7650 E. Broadway, Suite 203 in Tucson.]
Epple, Anne O., 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. Helena, Montana: Falcon. [A
general guide to native plants of Arizona.]
Lancaster, Brad, 2005. Rainwater harvesting for Drylands. Rainsource Press/Chelsea Green.
[Comprehensive guide to harvesting rainwater.]
Lazaroff, David W., 1993. Sabino Canyon: The Life of a Southwestern Oasis. Tucson: University
of Arizona Press. [Introdution to geology, history and biology of Sabino Canyon.]
Lazaroff, David W., Philip C. Rosen, Charles H. Lowe Jr., 2006. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Their
Habitats at Sabino Canyon. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. [Information about the
“herpetofauna” of Sabino Canyon.]
Mollison, Bill and Slay Reney-Mia, 1991. Introduction to Permaculture. Permaculture
Resources. [A good introduction to a comprehensive approach to human dwellings and
landscaping that is in harmony with the natural world.]
Bibliography
29