Southwest Wings: Spring Fling – Madera and Box Canyons Field Trip

Join professional guide Jennie MacFarland on a trip which will take you to Madera Canyon via Box Canyon and the Santa Rita grasslands and explore this famous birding site. The grasslands on the way are good for Grasshopper Sparrow and the newly split Chihuahuan Meadowlark. For the last couple of years Box Canyon has hosted breeding Five-striped Sparrow and we will stop to look for this rare species, also hoping to see Varied Bunting and Scott’s Oriole. Moving on to Madera Canyon we will bird the many habitats it has to offer - grassland, riparian, and woodland. We will also enjoy a picnic lunch and watch feeding stations. Target species would include Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Elegant Trogon, Painted Redstart, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Hepatic Tanager, Botteri’s Sparrow, Yellow-eyed Junco and Scott’s Oriole. Bring hat, water, sun protection, and wear trail shoes. Lunch is included – please select your sandwich filling from menu below the Field Trip descriptions on the registration page. Hiking Difficulty: 3 moderate. Guide Jennie MacFarland. Meeting place: The south-east entrance of The Mall at Sierra Vista, 2200 El Mercado Loop, Sierra Vista. Turn west onto Calle Mercancia from Highway 92, by the Wells Fargo bank, and the entrance is straight ahead. Map link     Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival is Arizona’s oldest birding festival. Since 1991 we’ve been offering small group trips through monsoons and droughts … and even a global pandemic. ​The Southwest Wings Spring Fling will run from Wednesday May 6 to Saturday May 9, 2026.