Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

When I moved to Arizona from Philadelphia, I was immediately struck by the sharp contrast in climate and landscape between the two locales.  I quickly became a fan of Tucson's Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a showcase for the flora, fauna and geology of my new home.  Almost 30 years later, I'm still a regular visitor and still learning about the unique environment of the Sonoran Desert.

One interesting and possibly misleading detail about the ASDM - as many shorten the name - is that it's called a museum.   Most of us think of that word in the context of static displays of art, artifacts and taxidermied animals.  However it's success relies on the visitor's interaction with mostly living outdoor subjects as it merges the features of zoos, botanical gardens, natural history museums and art galleries.   Not only is it a one-of-a kind experience, it's also situated in a beautifully mountainous and verdant area of Tucson, in the heart of the saguaro-filled desert it's dedicated to protecting and celebrating.

The Sonoran Desert covers much of southern Arizona and part of Southwestern California.  It also encompasses huge parts of Baja California and Sonora in Mexico.   The ASDM is populated with endless examples of cacti, agave, trees, plants and flowers from these locations, arranging them in mostly natural settings.  They've also created landscaped features like labyrinths and gardens, demonstrating the endless architectural opportunities available with this drought-tolerant flora.  They also showcase the specific ecosystems within the desert, like water-fed riparian areas and mountainous "sky islands."   And very recently, they've reminded us that the desert meets the Sea of Cortez in Mexico by creating an interactive stingray habitat.

But it's the animals that are the most fun and interesting attraction.   The collections are mostly situated in recreated habitats within the mentioned zones.  Grasslands house critters like prairie dogs and vultures while Mountain Woodlands display mountain lions and black bears.  And this is a modern zoo where the animals have lots of space and shrubbery while the visitors have unimpeded views of the animals.

But most fascinating for me were the walk-in aviaries, with one even dedicated exclusively to hummingbirds.  I was able to photograph three hummers - Anna's, Costa's and broad-billed - from very close up.   In the other exhibit, cardinals, grosbeaks and a steller jay were happy subjects.   In addition, the museum's greenery creates its own extensive park next to several other much larger protected areas that include Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park.  As a result, much wildlife calls the area home, especially in the form of birds.   I saw many wild cactus wrens, gila woodpeckers, kestrels, red-tailed hawks, gnatcatchers, vultures and pyrrhuloxias.   I even glimpsed some seasonally migrating birds like hooded orioles, black-headed grosbeaks and western tanagers.

In the park were a couple of birds that as recently as last century called Arizona home.  Sadly due to habitat loss and hunting, they are considered extinct here.   Fortunately, for now, they are still surviving south of the border in Mexico.  They include the masked bobwhite and thick-billed parrot, two beautiful specimens that remind us of how precious the natural world is, but also how threatened it is.  May we all remain as steadfast as the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in our committment to conservation and education.

I knew I was in store for a good day when I saw several pyrrhuloxias not only in the surrounding cacti but in the museum's parking lot.  This bird is a type of cardinal that prefers the southwest deserts.

The lush desert landscape is a big draw for visitors to ASDM.

But the animals might be the biggest attraction, especially the always active otter. They were once common on various Arizona rivers, but are now found only on the Verde River.

My biggest interest was the hummingbird aviary, where I could get shots like this one of a male Costa's. 

Male Anna's hummingbird.

Male broad-billed hummingbird.

The other aviary had cardinals like this male.  They were much more social than those in the wild.

Female cardinal. I was told there might be some breeding between northern cardinals and pyrrhuloxias in the aviary. That might explain the lack of full crown feathers or the gray dorsal color in the male.

Male black-headed grosbeak.

One of my favorite birds in the mountains is the Steller's jay, one of a few blue-colored jays that call Arizona home.  He's much easier to photograph in the walk-in aviary.

In the vulture exhibit were a couple of crested caracaras, a tropical hawk that calls southern Arizona its northern-most range.  

Desert tortoise.

Desert bighorn sheep.  His mate and week-old baby were nearby - I think his pride shows.

Mountain lion or puma.

One of several animals that is no longer wild in Arizona is the thick-billed parrot.

Another bird extinct in Arizona is the masked bobwhite.

On a more positive note, Mexican gray wolves were successfully reintroduced in Arizona and New Mexico after decades of absence.  Hopefully the same future awaits the masked bobwhite and thick-billed parrot.

A dense forest of saguaro cacti and blooming ironwood trees surround the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  Exploring adjacent Saguaro National Park is just one of many new adventures waiting its turn.