Before the sun rises high enough to warm the desert floor, a group of birdwatchers sets out along a trail at Estrella Mountain Regional Park, binoculars in hand. At the front is Ranger Eric Hough, guiding them not just through the terrain, but through the rhythms of nature.
Hough, an interpretive ranger with Maricopa County Parks and Recreation, has led birding walks for the county for the past eight years. His programs are part education, part observation and all rooted in a lifelong passion for wildlife.
“I grew up in Mesa and started birding as a kid. My mom got into it right before I was born, so it’s a generational thing for us. I was basically raised with a pair of binoculars around my neck,” Hough said.
Before joining the parks department, Hough worked as a bird biologist. His resume includes bird surveys and tortoise monitoring across the Southwest as well as plant assessments in the Midwest. That scientific training continues to shape the way he leads his programs.
“These hikes aren’t just about identifying birds,” he said. “They’re about understanding habitat, behavior, migration, and the broader ecology of the Sonoran Desert.”
Birding, also known as birdwatching, is the practice of observing and identifying birds in their natural habitat. It can be casual or meticulous. For many, it’s also a doorway into broader environmental understanding.
According to the National Audubon Society, birding is one of the fastest-growing outdoor activities in the United States, offering both mental and physical health benefits.
“On any given day, we have locals and tourists alike coming to see some of the …bird species observed here, learn about native plants in our wildlife garden… or just get away from the city by hiking the trails,” stated Katie Weeks, director of community education for Audubon Southwest.
Birding encourages mindfulness, slows people down, and fosters awareness of habitat and climate change.
“Each year, we engage thousands of people and connect them with the outdoors and natural world, helping them to appreciate their role and responsibility within it,” stated Weeks.
Birding in the Sonoran Desert
The desert landscape of Estrella Mountain Regional Park is one of the most biodiverse birding spots in the developing West Valley.
“(The park) allows us to see both year-round residents like Gila woodpeckers and white-winged doves, and migratory birds during the spring and fall,” Hough said.
Visitors on a typical morning hike might spot colorful vermilion flycatchers perched on mesquites, hear the high-pitched trills of Abert’s towhees in the underbrush, or catch a glimpse of a Harris’s hawk circling overhead.
The hikes are open to all ages and skill levels and participants are encouraged to bring their own binoculars.
“You don’t need any special experience,” said Hough. “The key is to slow down and pay attention.”
From fieldwork to public service
Hough’s transition from scientific fieldwork to parks and recreation was driven by a desire to connect people to nature.
“Anything that can spark interest in people to care about (the) environment is worthwhile,” Hough said. “Sometimes people get that spark moment, where they see maybe a vermilion flycatcher, and their mind is blown by the colors of it. Getting people to engage with different perspectives about an animal is what it’s all about for me.”
Hough also encourages supporting community science platforms like eBird, an online bird-tracking tool from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Participants in his hikes often log sightings through the app, contributing to one of the largest biodiversity databases in the world.
Birding as a gateway to nature
The birding events at Estrella Mountain Regional Park are part of a broader mission by Maricopa County Parks to encourage residents to explore local ecosystems and build lasting relationships with the environment.
“Birding is a great entry point into the natural world,” Hough said. “It opens your eyes not just to birds, but to everything: the plants, the weather, the landscape.”
The next session of bird walks at Estrella Mountain Regional Park will be posted at maricopacountyparks.net. The park is located at 14805 W. Vineyard Ave. in Goodyear.
Birding opportunities in the Valley extend beyond the parks system. The Rio Salado Audubon Center, located at 3131 South Central Ave. in Phoenix, offers a robust lineup of educational programming. The center hosts bird walks twice monthly, maintains an on-site nature center, and provides a range of field trip experiences either at schools or on-site at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area.
For younger students, “Nature Storytime” engages pre-K through first graders in stories and hands-on activities centered around themes like “All About Birds” and “Cactus.” The “Nature in Your Neighborhood” program serves K-8 students with interactive STEAM-based stations such as guided nature outings, bird beak adaptation investigations, and lessons on Arizona mammals.
“I have great memories of my school field trips back in the day, getting a fun day out of school when we could explore my community and see a fun new place,” stated Weeks. “Students have the opportunity to learn about local wildlife, use real science tools like binoculars, practice science skills like observation and inferences, and investigate ecosystems in our native plant gardens and out on the trail.”
Whether through a quiet moment in the desert with a field guide and binoculars, a family walk through trails, or an interactive school field trip, birding offers a meaningful invitation to slow down, look closer, and rediscover local wild spaces and a connection to nature.
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