Birders flock to Arizona to add species to their life lists and to experience the birds' natural habitats.
So it might seem a bit unusual that the readers of Birder's World magazine chose an enclosed setting as the No. 1 spot to watch one particular type of bird.
It's true that bird-watchers enjoy traipsing through natural settings, said Birder's World editor Chuck Hagner, "but what's significant about the hummingbird survey is that 'My backyard' was No. 2 on the survey."
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, whose enclosed hummingbird aviary currently holds 17 hummingbirds of five species, was the top pick for good reason, said Hagner.
It offers the kind of up-close experience that hummingbird aficionados crave.
"Hummers inspire a real sense of devotion," Hagner said. "People take a special interest in hummingbird welfare, in their beauty and the way they fly. The notion that you can actually get close to these little guys is a profound experience for some people. That's why they hang feeders in the backyard."
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The Desert Museum was not alone on the list, Hagner said. Southern Arizona took seven of the top 10 spots on the hummingbird survey, and 12 of the overall 25.
The reason his readers know and love the museum's enclosure is that they've been in Southern Arizona seeking other birding experiences, he said.
"Southern Arizona is one of those places every bird watcher wants to go at least once and probably many times," he said.
The area also ranked high in other "reader's choice" lists, recording three sites on the warbler list recently. Hagner says it also does well in an upcoming issue on owls.
In addition to proximity, the Desert Museum has another big advantage over those natural areas where tropical species fly south by mid-October.
Those Desert Museum hummingbirds don't migrate.
Contact reporter Tom Beal at tbeal@azstarnet.com or 573-4158.
