The elegant trogon is one of the birds you might sight in Southern Arizona.

Flying high above our heads is a plethora of spectacular species of birds, many of which can only be found here in Southern Arizona. You can take some time to look up and appreciate their beauty with the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival from Aug. 8-12.

The Tucson Audubon Society has lined up five days of field trips, workshops and special events dedicated to connecting with Arizona’s winged wonders.

Each field trip is led by a birding expert. There are full-day, half-day and new overnight options for this year’s festival.

There are also opportunities to hone your skills with photography field trips and workshops led by professional photographers with years of experience.

Also included in the festival are birding workshops, talks with experts and evening programs such as Monsoon Mysteries and The Exciting Night Life of Bats.

While many of the talks and workshops are free, field trips, most workshops and special events range from $10 all the way to $430 for the overnight field trip to the Chiricahua Mountains.

Check out the free Nature expo on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for free talks as well as dozens of exhibits by organizations, including Arizona Game and Fish, Biosphere 2, Saguaro National Park and many more.

The event will be hosted at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel - Reid Park.

Saturday’s special event will feature Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, who will present the Tucson Audubon Society with the Year of the Bird Proclamation in celebration of the positive influence birding has on the State of Arizona.

The estimated economic impact of Arizona birding is well over $1 billion every year.


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Chandler Donald is a University of Arizona journalism student apprenticing at the Star.